Not Such a Dream Afterall
by LavenderBoots
Summary: Chihiro Ogino left the spirit world eleven long years ago and has passed off her travels as the dream of a child missing her home. One fateful day she comes across a stretch of woods, and crosses though a tunnel with a vague sense of Déjà vu, only to be snatched away by a playful radish. This story is of a brave, stubborn, young woman who has to relearn what it means to believe.
1. Prologue, Empty Dreams

I do hereby disclaim, disclaim disclaim. Hayao Miyazaki owns everything.

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Prologue

**Empty Dreams**

Chihiro was walking in a daze, this place was all too familiar and yet unknown. The dust stirred beneath her feet as she walked, but somehow she could not feel the ground. The sun was beginning to set and she still couldn't remember how she had gotten here. Where was here? Realizing that she hadn't bothered to pay attention to her surroundings was strange; as though her thoughts were a paper plane floating in a fog, slow and soggy, drifting lower and lower into her consciousness. Ghostly black forms, street venders, would come to take their places behind the food stands on either side of her once the world grew dark. She knew that when the market signs lit, and the place awoke, the shadows would stir, and she would have to run.

"Why do I know that?" she thought. Unsure as to whether she was psychic, or living in a long lost forgotten memory, she continued to walk unheeded to the bridge she knew was up the hill; the pretty red bridge that led…to the bathhouse. Something was off, the bathhouse wasn't churning steam; it looked vacant and cold. The paint had peeled, and even from this distance she could see that many of the paper walls had disintegrated, the windows were broken. The once stately, welcoming bathhouse was left in a mess of disarray and disuse. As Chihiro came upon the bridge her stomach churned. She knew where she was now. In the same nightmare she had had on occasion for the past month since returning home. Even though she knew she was dreaming she couldn't fight it. Her body crossed the bridge anyway.

The white scaled dragon came tearing out of the bathhouse, eyes glowing dangerously, fangs, whiskers, scales and claws tainted with dried blood. "Save us!" it seemed to roar, before collapsing in a heap at her feet. With a jolt, Chihiro careened out of her bed and onto the carpet. Sweat dampened her brow, and her heart thudded in her ears. Already the dream had begun to fade away, and just like all the other times, she couldn't remember why she had woken up on the floor.


	2. Chapter 1, Awakening

I do hereby disclaim all ownership of these characters, and well everything.

All credits go to Hayao Miyazaki

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**Awakening**

The sun was streaming through the gauzy curtains of her window and for the millionth time Chihiro wondered why she had decided to go for stylishness instead of practicality. She groaned and twisted her body to flatten her face into the pillows, and block out the sun, all the while cursing her childhood self. 'I want this room Mama, the windows face the east, and the dawn brings luck.' She remembered her childish words all too well." Luck my ass," she muttered. Her words were garbled and she stifled another groan as an all too recognizable weight clambered onto her back. Thick paws kneaded into her shoulder and would have been comforting had it not been for the claws that raked through her t-shirt and against her skin. Of course Meeko would take this opportunity to remind her that it was breakfast time. Chihiro hauled herself out of bed; silently admitting that she hadn't been able to breathe anyway. She stumbled down the rickety stairs to the kitchen with the cat leading the way. He was a fat thing, she mused. He looked more like a raccoon than a cat; which is why she had dubbed him after Pocahontas' furry friend. With his thick grey body, black ringed tail, black tipped paws and ears, he only needed a mask. His green eyes gave him away too though. Chihiro had never seen a raccoon with green eyes.

Meeko mewed impatiently, and Chihiro realized sleepily that she was already beside the cat's food bowl. She looked at it in confusion. The bowl was full. Still, the cat sat beside it, staring at her in earnest. "What?" she asked. The cat only looked pointedly at the food bowl before returning his green gaze to hers and mewing somberly. With furrowed brows, Chihiro dropped into a squat and picked up the bowl with her hands. She shook it in front of Meeko's face and placed it back in its metal stand. The cat's head dropped eagerly to the bowl, only for him to sniff it and turn his head away with disinterest. What the hell? Meeko never turned away food. Maybe he was trying to tell her he wanted to go outside. So with a sigh she lifted up the heavy tomcat, walked him out the door and unceremoniously dumped him on the front porch. The morning air was chilly, proof of the summer turning to fall. Without waiting to see the cats intentions Chihiro closed the door then walked back to the kitchen.

The sight was comforting. The black and white tiles were cool against her feet as she padded to the refrigerator. Opening it wide, she perused its contents. She lifted her eyes to the microwave clock: 5:25AM. She glanced up at the ceiling, where her parents were undoubtedly sleeping on the second floor. No eggs then. She was a loud cook and her parents and past roommates had complained that she never knew just how loud she could be when she was banging pots and pans around. Reaching for the milk she closed the fridge door. With a hand outstretched above the fridge, she groped for the box of cereal she knew was lying around there, somewhere. Aha! She pulled the box down in triumph. On the front a bee smiled sweetly at her. He was holding a honey wand over a bowl of O's made of grain. Hmm, seemed quiet enough. She placed her food on the dining table, and rummaged through the dishwasher to find a bowl and spoon.

Once she was seated at the table munching noisily, she unconsciously curled a leg under herself and gazed into her reflection. The dining table was covered in mirrors; she may as well use them. She remembered thinking that the table was odd when she was younger, but came to appreciate its uniqueness as she matured. Her mother had always kept a long sheet of clear vinyl over the table to protect it from getting wayward spills and food in the crevices. It distorted her image the tiniest bit, though not enough to notice. Chihiro stared into a pair of round greyish brown eyes. They were fringed with long lashes that were too light to be of much notice. Her light, chestnut brown hair was pulled into a makeshift bun. It had skewed from sleep; leaving bits of hair and flyaways to frame her face. Her smooth, fair skin had a rosy flush from the chill and her lips were still slightly swollen from sleep. As she mused over her reflection, she thought about how pretty she could be if her face was just a little less round. She had always wanted prominent cheekbones like her father. Chihiro sighed, oh well, can't change your bone structure… not without a price anyway. After she finished eating, she rinsed her bowl and her spoon and left them in the sink. Wresting her palms against the white tile counter top, Chihiro debated how she should start her day. Showering or watching TV would wake up her parents; she didn't feel like reading a book, or doing anything really. Chihiro yawned and rubbed her eyes. At some time in the middle of the night she had woken up on the floor again. It had been happening all month, ever since she had come home from University.

She had decided to take a semester off, against the advice of her teachers, and her peers. She was emotionally drained, and physically worn out. Chihiro was sure that her parents would put up a fight against her wishes too, but when they had last gone to visit for spring break they had been shocked to see her in such a state. Chihiro hadn't been eating or sleeping right. She had recently broken up with her boyfriend at the time only to find out that he had been cheating on her with her best friend. She had found herself without her closest support system and didn't know what to do. School had become all of Chihiros life, she had thrown herself into her studies, regarding little interest to anything else. It hurt too much. All of her favourite foods, had been introduced to her by her best friend. Her most cherished past times had been tainted by memories of her ex. There was nowhere to go, and nothing to do except for school and sleep. What her parents had come to find last spring was a gaunt, lifeless version of their daughter. She had always been slim, but they cringed as they hugged her skeletal bone structure, her face puffy and swollen from crying; she tried to hide it behind a forced smile, as she tried to hide her body beneath baggy clothes. Both only enhanced that which she tried to deny. When she had returned home she was already beginning to feel better, being with her family lifted her spirits, and returned her appetite. She had taken up jogging, and attended yoga classes with her mother. One of her neighbors was about her age and was friendly enough, they went shopping together now and again. Her heart still climbed to her throat when she thought about university. She had always told herself that girls who cried over boys were weak. But she had lost so much more than just a romance when they broke up and she realized that now. Sighing, she closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Glancing back at the clock she saw that it was 15 minutes to six. A loud thump drew her attention to the front door and she made her way to the patio where she had last left Meeko. Upon opening the door she was greeted by a boy riding a bicycle, he grinned as he rode away and Chihiro waved uncertainly. She had stepped forward, curiosity causing her to follow the boy with her eyes. What was the kid doing that he was awake so early she wondered, when her foot nudged something. Looking down she found an answer to her question; the paper was directly beneath her. Picking it up she forgot the boy, as she unsheathed the paper from its plastic covering and plopped back into her seat at the kitchen table. Opening directly to the classifieds, Chihiro laid the paper flat on the table before hopping up to grab the pen and the notepad that traditionally sat beside the telephone. Uncapping the pen with her teeth she hunched over the paper circling anything that remotely interested her and crossing off anything not worth her time.

* * *

Chihiro smoothed the collar of her white button down shirt and straightened her tie. She had tied up her waist length hair into an elegant donut bun and she looked into the rearview mirror of her mother's car as she attempted to smooth down any flyaways. Picking a stray bit of lint off her black slacks she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the pavement, fidgeting as she waked to the double doors. She was 45 minutes early to her first shift, but had never been very good at waiting for things so she decided to go before she lost her nerve and called in sick altogether. She had evidently made the right decision. The restaurant was on break as all of the staff seemed to have their meal together before the dinner rush. She was met by many smiling faces as the manager introduced her as the new server assistant. Her title was basically a fancy name for busboy; she had gone over that when they had called her back about the job. She was required to aid the waitresses in serving, picking up after diners, keeping the floor and bathroom spotless and helping to wash up dishes at the end of the night. It would be hard work but she never backed down from a challenge. As the staff looked at her expectantly she realized that she was meant to say something. "P-please show me the ropes, I'm a fast learner."

The staff clapped and she was beckoned to an empty chair by a smiling blonde girl, "Come sit with us Chiroro!" Chihiro made her way to the seat and the staff began to chat amicably as they ate again. Some looked at her curiously, and others offered smiles as their eyes caught hers.

"So Chiroro, where are you from, I haven't seen you around here before," the blonde asked, her face shining in excitement. She couldn't be more than 16 or 17, Chihiro thought. She was pretty, with a short bob accentuating her heart shaped face, and her big hazel eyes.

"Actually its Chi-hi-ro," Chihiro said gently, pointing to her nametag on her breast pocket. The blonde blushed visibly, and a young man sitting across the table from Chihiro sniggered.

"Geez Mei learn to read." He taunted. Chihiro turned her gaze upon the young man, his name tag read Arata, but she already decided she didn't like him. He had a handsome face, with a square jaw and almond shaped blue eyes. His shoulder length brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and he had a nice physique, but all these things she chose to ignore based on the cruel smirk that graced his lips. She watched as his eyes roved over the parts of her body, he could see across the table, and Chihiro fought the urge to cross her arms, when his gaze lingered on her chest. He looked back up at her face appreciatively, "Well at least you're a pretty one." Chihiro stiffened and turned her face away, just to hear him snort.

"Stop it Arata," Mei chided, "you're creeping her out. Don't mind Arata, he's not a bad guy, he's just a player. Oh and I'm Mei, Mei Sarutobi," she said as she stretched out her hand, "We're cousins, he got me a job here." At this Chihiro glanced at Arata who wiggled his brows in agreement. "I'm attending the highschool down the street, and Arata is a photographer." Mei leaned in conspiratorially and Chihiro followed her lead. "Arata didn't go to college," Mei whispered. Whumph! Mei crumpled and reached down to rub her shin, "Ouch! Rat-face that hurt!"

"Mind your own business," Arata hissed at Mei, glaring murderously at the pair of girls before grabbing his plate with the remnants of his dinner and stomping off.

"Sorry," Mei, grinned sheepishly, before shrugging her shoulders, "touchy subject I guess. So umm back to you. Where are you from? How old are you? Why'd you come to work here? What are your starting hours? Have you ever worked in a restaurant before?" Chihiro held up her hands in an attempt to stop the barrage of questions.

"Umm, I'm 21. I'm from here actually; just taking a semester break from University. I've been there for 3 years, so maybe that's why you haven't seen me. I wanted a job, to pass the time, and just to earn some cash and stuff. And uhh…"

"Starting hours," the blonde quipped.

"Evenings, from 4-8 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 8-12 Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays."

"Yuck," Mei grimaced, "They aren't going easy on you at all. So you must have worked in a restaurant before."

"No actually, I used to work in a bath- err, a flower shop." That was weird, Chihiro had had the sudden urge to say bath house when she had never even been near one before in her life. "My job was to take orders, work the register, cut the flowers down to size, keep the work stations clean, take stock of decorations, vases and such and sometimes I would do flower deliveries."

"Wow," Mei breathed, "So you shouldn't have any trouble keeping up here." Chihiro smiled tightly; there actually hadn't been that many customers at the flower shop, so Chihiro mainly did school work or watched stuff on her laptop, during her work hours. She had neglected to inform her new boss of this however and the grandfatherly florist she had worked under had given Chihiro a glowing recommendation letter, so she wasn't going to disprove herself now. A clock chimed somewhere and everyone began to pick up their dishes. Mei gasped and hurriedly gobbled down the rest of her food, offering Chihiro a slice of bacon from her sandwich, which she politely declined. Chihiro had stopped eating pork a long time ago; she had suddenly lost the taste for it when she was around ten. "Com'mo Chih'ro," Mei choked out when she stuffed the last, fist sized, piece of her sandwich in her mouth and grabbed her plate to dash off to the kitchens. This is going to be a long night, Chihiro thought before taking off after the young blonde.

Chihiro's white apron was stained with oil, vinegar and spaghetti sauces of all different colors. She stunk of sweat, and alcohol from all of the drinks she had spilled on herself throughout the night. Balancing trays was an art she was going to have to work on if she intended to keep her job. Her boss informed her that they would go easy on her the first couple weeks but not to slack off because after her grace period she'd start getting deductions from her paycheck. She was proud that even though she had tripped and knocked over a waiter, given someone the wrong order, spilled at least a dozen drinks and had slipped over her own mop she hadn't broken a single dish. She waved goodnight to the rest of the workers, clocked out and made her way to her mother's little white Toyota 4runner. As she sat down to grip the wheel she realized just how much her feet, and shoulders ached. Still, it felt good to know she was coming back after a full month of being so lackadaisical.

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**Author's Note:**

I am not, nor have I ever been a resident of Japan, so I won't assume to know anything about Japanese culture. I will try to keep the place of residence as ambiguous as possible. Also I apologize in advance for my ignorance but I won't even attempt to use Japanese terms for clothing and the like. If you would correct me on anything I mistake or just inform me of the correct terms it would be much appreciated.

Also please note, there is a reason Chihiro doesn't remember the Spirit world which will be delved into in other chapters very shortly. And Chihiro will be visiting a realm with in a dream sooner than she thinks.

I would appreciate any and all reviews, and thank you for reading!

~The girl with the Lavender Boots


	3. Chapter 2, Forgotten

Disclaim, Disclaim, Disclaim.

All belong to Hayao Miyazaki

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**Forgotten**

Superman would ask Chihiro for her workout plan, she thought. After 3 weeks of endless shifts, moving gigantic pots and pans, scrubbing down the entire restroom by hand, and lifting tray after tray of food laden dishes; Chihiro was seeing a visible change in her body. Slight, but visible. Her body looked lean and toned instead of just slim, and she was starting to get curves as her waist tightened up. And if she really, really flexed she saw the beginnings of a baby 4 pack on her abdomen. Yup work was good for her. She silently fist pumped as she crouched in a corner of the break room. Too bad she was tired and wanted to go home. She was only halfway through her shift. Arata came in then, and put his energy drink back in his locker before exchanging his soiled apron, for a fresh one. He then washed his hands and made to exit the room, when he spotted her. "Yo, newbie," he said and thumped his memo pad on top of Chihiro's head, "break times over, let's vamoose." Chihiro grimaced as she rubbed her new sore spot, she glared reproachfully at the waiter's back. "Come on, I got a big order up and I need a minion."

"Assbutt," Chihiro grumbled, but she followed anyway, muttering a string of curses under hear breath.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah shut up and take this," he commanded. Chihiro's arms shot out automatically. Arata laced a pop-up table through one of her arms and carefully handed her a beluga sized tray.

"Shit," Chihiro groaned, "did they really have to go for the 20oz steaks and the giant bowls of corn chowder?"

"Quit your whining these folks are great tippers." Arata snapped as he expertly balanced two trays matching Chihiro's. "Surf's up!" He called; servers automatically made way for the pair. Chihiro slapped a beatific smile on her angelic face and followed Arata's form to the black room. The black room was for reservations only. It wasn't really black at all, it was actually painted a cheery pale yellow; but usually the people back there were so rude and demanding, servers would go in with a good mood and come out with a bad one. Chihiro gulped. The last time she had been back there a child had flung a mixture of mashed potatoes and peas into her hair which consequently caused her to overturn a glass of wine, onto their guest. Now her grace period was up and mistakes would not be tolerated.

By the end of the night, she had served so many dishes and seen so many people she was exhausted; and all but collapsed onto the break room couch. She missed Mei, but school had started up again and Mei had had to change her shifts to match her schedule. So now she kept company with Arata more than anyone, he was her supervisor, and the best she could get to keep up with her new friend. Arata as it turned out lived down Chihiro's street and they had the same hours, so now they carpooled. They still weren't exactly friends, but dubbing him an acquaintance with benefits would not go well with her mother, when she made her way out to the black Spectra every evening. "Come on newbie, get off that tight ass of yours and let's go home," Arata drawled. He grabbed his aprons from his locker, hitched on his jacket and checked his messages before looking at her with raised brows. Chihiro rolled her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she engaged her sore body to a sitting position. After nearly a month of his lewd and insulting comments she didn't bother to get riled up about it anymore. Instead she chose to accept that he was an asshole and that they didn't have to be anything more than carpooling coworkers. She got up and groaned as she stretched her long limbs.

"Alright let's go, I'm sick of your face," she groused. Chihiro collected her things from her own locker and turned off the lights in the break room. They were almost always the last two to go home. Arata was one of the key holders so he usually had to lock up after everyone had gone. He was actually a very hard worker and many people asked for him when they came in. As a server he was charming, accommodating and practically perfect. What a snake, she thought. She liked his car though. His girlfriend, of the week presumably, was obsessed with apples and had bought him a portable freshener thing from bath and body works so his car always smelled like apple pie. Relaxing into the soothing smell and the comfortable leather seats, she adjusted the heater and buckled her seat belt. "Why a clock?"

"Hmm, what?" he asked, distracted with his own seatbelt.

"Why is your air freshener thing shaped like a clock," Chihiro rephrased, pointing to the cute little oil holder attached to his sun visor. Arata smirked.

"Big Ben." He smiled at her suggestively, and Chihiro looked confused for a second. Big ben was a large clock tower in London right? Then what did that have to do with…

"Oh gross, you two are sickos," she said, making a face, to which he chuckled. The car's lights came on, and Arata backed smoothly out of his space before making his way to the road to her house. It was a 27 minute ride and Chihiro was no longer happy about saving gas. This was just too awkward. After two minutes of icky, loaded silence, she decided to change topics, "how's Mei?"

"Fine, she's her usual annoying ass self. I haven't gotten to see her as much honestly; she's happy to be back with her friends. When she's not with them, she's busy studying, or attending night school," he scoffed, "the little weirdo actually likes homework. What a square." She heard an edge creep into his tone. Right, school was a touchy subject; she didn't really want to talk about it either.

"How's your photography going?" At this Arata brightened considerably.

"I recently bought a Fujifilm GA645! She's gorgeous. My dark room was never used much before I bought it, but there is just something about film you know? Sure digital is quick and easy and everything always looks great, but that is the thing, film is so much more rewarding! It requires the right lighting, a good eye, fine focus and the knowledge of how to properly develop everything." He was practically glowing, Chihiro thought. "Did I ever tell you how I got into photography?" He glanced her way and she shook her head. Did he see that in the dim light? He smiled at the memory, "My grandmother gave me her polaroid when I was 5. It was my first day of school and she told me to use it to document my thoughts. I was afraid to start school and leave my mom and she said to take the camera and take pictures to share with everyone later when I got home." He laughed then. "The pictures were from a kid's point of view so my teacher was reduced to a pair of legs. My new friend was a blur and a play dough can, and there were about 15 pictures of my favorite crayons." Without realizing it Chihiro had angled her body towards him and she could feel the smile spread across her face. Then her stomach clenched a bit as she wondered if she would ever find something to be this passionate about.

* * *

How had she managed to get roped into this? Chihiro thought grumpily. Somehow Mei had convinced her that it would be fun to model for some pictures for Arata's portfolio. It was her day off and I wasn't like she had anything better to do but still, modeling? Arata's girlfriend worked at Sephora and had offered to do the girl's makeup. Chihiro was pleasantly surprised to find that Chrissie was not a female replica of her boyfriend, but was sweet and very down to earth. She also seemed to have a dirty mind, much to Chihiro's chagrin, but luckily she only showed it on rare occasions. As she applied foundation, and powders, blush and other things to Chihiro's eyelids, nose and cheeks with soft bristled brushes, Chihiro allowed herself to study the girl before her. Chrissie was 25, average height, shorter than Chihiro and taller than Mei. She had curly brown hair that was pulled into a lovely fishtail braid at the moment with artfully chosen pieces framing her pretty oval shaped face. Her smooth skin was tanner than Chihiro's and she had exquisite cheekbones, the kind Chihiro always wanted, and a small dimple on her chin. Her lips were full and upturned so she had a perpetual smile, and though her brown eyes were on the small side she used fake lashes to hide that fact. She was curvaceous and a little plump. Chihiro hadn't noticed until she saw how small the girl's hands were and the way she had little dimples at her knuckles, and wrists. Overall Chrissie was not at all what she had expected.

"Close your eyes dear." Chihiro listened obediently and tried to relax her face as what seemed to be a felt tip pen slid along across her upper lash line. Chrissie hummed happily as she continued brushing things into her brows and her eyelids. "Open." And there was the mascara. "Oh you're eyelashes are so long! We don't even need falsies. I'm so jealous," she pouted playfully and Chihiro laughed. "Ok now we're done. Ooh, don't look yet, put on the dress first and then I'll let down your pin curls and then you can look." Chihiro smiled in acquiescence. Slowly as though coming upon a dangerous animal, or a very grumpy Meeko, she walked to the bed where the tulle monstrosity called a dress sat. Chrissie called in Mei and started to do her makeup much to the younger girl's excitement. Chihiro changed quickly, unhappily abandoning her loose fitting sweater and her comfy yoga pants. It was too chilly for such a thin dress she thought miserably. The door was met by a pounding fist just as Chihiro slipped into the gown.

"Come on ladies, move it, we're losing daylight. I want to get to the grove before sundown if you don't mind." Arata sounded thoroughly annoyed. And the cuss words he didn't say in front of his girlfriend were evident in his tone.

"We'll be right out Pumpkin," Chrissie called, to which all three girls giggled. Arata groaned, at the endearment and thudded back down the stairs. "So Mei how has that boy been treating you lately…" Chihiro didn't want to talk about boys and relationships so she drowned out the girls chatter as she tried to clasp up the ridiculous dress. The damn thing had a hundred fucking bra clasps for goodness sake. It was the 21st century dammit, why didn't it just have a fucking zipper. Chihiro growled in frustration, and she turned when Mei giggled.

"Come here silly goose, let me help you." Chihiro sighed in relief and turned her back to Mei, who undid all of her failed attempts and with deft fingers had them done in no time. Chihiro made to walk away when she was tugged back, "Hey I'm not finished, I have to tie up the ribbons." Oh for fucks sake she thought, was this dress a damn corset? She felt sharp tugs and heard the fabric dancing against one another in soft shrills and whispers. "Ok, now I'm done."

"Thank you," Chihiro turned to face the girl. Her pretty face had been transformed from that of a lovely young high school girl to an ethereal beauty. She had her lips stained a lovely gradation from a pale pink to a deep wine color, her cheeks were deeply flushed, with a pink fading up into her hairline. Her eyes were encircled in a glowing violet and pink shadow, and she had purple feather lashes, which brought out the green in her hazel irises. Her skin looked like it was shimmering and glowing from within. Her features were more defined and she looked like a pixie or some kind of sprite. "Wow, you look incredible Mei! Like a personified cherry blossom!" Mei blushed and smiled bashfully, only making herself look more demure.

"Ok Mei hop out of the chair and go get changed, I'll finish up with Chihiro's hair and then we're good to go, we don't want to let all this beauty go to waste do we?" Chrissie winked and Mei giggled. Before she could blink, Chihiro was having her hair attacked by what felt like a sparrow as Chrissie undid all of the pins she had previously put in her hair. Ringlets began to drop around her and suddenly she was forced upside down with her head between her knees, her scalp ached from the sudden release of bobby pins and blood flow. When she was allowed to sit back up, black spots floated before her vision and a mirror was help up before her. Chihiro gasped. She had makeup much like Mei's except she had soft green shadow circling her eyes, and with a thick cat linerspread from her inner corners to her eyebrows, she looked almost feline. Eyelashes were coated in mascara making them look like long spider legs. Her thin eyebrows were defined and she looked decidedly more feral in her beauty, while Mei looked more innocent. Chihiro's lips were stained a dark red and her hair was a mass of shining waves that only served to soften and contrast the makeup a little. The dress was surprisingly pretty. The pale butter yellow ruffles were not like a tutu after all. They flowed down her body like petals of a lily of the valley layered one over the other. She looked like a wood nymph.

"Oh Chrissie, you're amazing," she breathed. Chrissie smiled and with a flower garland of chrysanthemums, daisy's and baby's breath all covered in long stemmed leaves in her hands placed it reverently over Chihiro's head.

"No love, you are."

"The sun WON'T be out ALL DAY!"

* * *

Under the shade of the Autumnal foliage Arata was all business. He directed his models with confidence and focus. Chihiro found that she actually had respect for this side of him. "Beautiful, now Chihiro I want you to have a little more movement in your arms, loosen your fingers and relax your face. Keep your eyes trained on me, but try and make it unfocused. Yes! Perfect, just like that, hold it! Mei, I liked that, drape your arm back over that branch again. Chris, angle the screen a little more below them, catch that light. Ok gold! Hold it!" He alternated between his digital camera and his film one. The film one he would take a little longer arranging the picture just so, and Chihiro was surprised that she couldn't wait to see how these pictures came out. She was freezing though. The wind only served to enhance the pictures as it lifted up their dresses and made them appear to fly. The dress did little to provide warmth though and for the sake of posterity, both she and Mei had taken off their shoes. At that moment, Chihiro's toes were splayed on a mossy rock and she tried not to tremble so much. "Ok let's move on, there's a tunnel a little ways this way that I saw last time I biked through here. I think it'd be a great spot for some more shots." The girls gladly agreed and clambered back into the warmth of the car.

"Isn't this fun Chihiro?! I feel like a real model, and ugh, wouldn't it be amazing to see yourself on a billboard or in a magazine! I love it. Except for when I had to squidge my toes in the mud to keep from falling over, haha that was grody." Both Arata and Chrissie laughed.

"Your face was priceless Mei! Babe did you catch that on camera?"

"I sure did, its going out in the Christmas cards this year."

"Oh shut it you two," Mei laughed. "It's not My fault!" Everyone was laughing and Chihiro looked contentedly out the window. She felt warm. She felt, happy. Just then she spotted an odd statue staring at her with a strange smile on its stone face, a chill went down her spine and she bolted upright to get a better look. Pressing her nose against the glass she watched it flicker out of view behind the trees. Something niggled at her consciousness. A broken memory, a feeling she couldn't shake. "By the way, what were are all those little stone houses? Back at the front of the road?"

"Shrines," said Arata, "Some people put them up to honor the spirits who live there." Again the strange sensation that she should remember this, an overwhelming rush of déjà vu hit her in the stomach and weighed her down like a stone. "Shit!" Arata cursed; the road had become unbearably bumpy and he was going to get stuck if they went any further. "Alright, I guess we'll have to go on foot from here. Any objections ladies?" Before he could finish his question, Chihiro had unbuckled her seat belt, kicked off her boots and exited the car. Something was urging her forward. Her mind felt so sure that she had never been here before, she would have remembered it, but her body knew this place. Her heart thudded in her ears as she ran over the cobbled road. "Chihiro, wait for us!" She turned just in time to see Arata snap a picture. She felt exuberant, like she was returning to house of a long forgotten friend.

"Chihiro, I'm coming, hold up." Mei called. She was running too, but she had had the sense to keep on her shoes. Mei was laughing and her blonde hair bounced. It shone from the rays that filtered through the red and gold leaves. Chihiro held out her hand and Mei grabbed it gleefully as they took off together. She could see the tunnel up ahead, the wind pulled them forward and her blood seemed to be humming in excitement. Something was there. It was waiting. Waiting for her.

* * *

**Author's note:**

What could be waiting for Chihiro? Why can't she remember? Did Arata even remember to put film in the camera? All that and more are in store, in upcoming chapters. Very soon!

Side note: Links to inspiration for the girls makeup and gowns is on my profile page

Please review, thanks for reading!

Boots


	4. Chapter 3, Departure

Disclaim, Disclaim, Disclaim.

All credits go to Hayao Miyazaki

* * *

**Departure**

Racing hand in hand, garbed in pastel gowns of yellow and rose, hair flew in the breeze, as the girls ran ever closer to the tunnel beyond. They could just glimpse the entrance. Vines, creepers and fallen leaves quieted their steps. The freezing cold stone gave way to nature's carpet, urging Chihiro to run faster. She spotted a small mound guarding the entrance, moss coated stone. It was a statue; probably like the one from earlier, her mind supplied. "Chihiro," Mei gasped, "Chihiro slow down!" Chihiro wasn't listening, her long legs pushed into the ground harder, propelling her forward. Without warning her whole body jerked backward and she had to scramble to stay upright. Mei had stopped in her tracks. Bewildered, Chihiro recognized that she and Mei were still holding hands. Mei was gripping her fingers so hard, their knuckles were white. Chihiro blanched, how had she forgotten she was running with Mei? Chihiro looked down in concern as Mei bent over double, gasping for breath. Chihiro wasn't showing any outward signs of discomfort, but she did notice something strange. Stinging ears, dry burning throat; maybe she had over exerted herself too. The wind burned cheeks and nose didn't disagree. Her eyes were watering too. Lifting a shaking hand, she looked at the blood red fingertips; thumb and digits rubbed against each other, trying to massage warmth back into themselves or at least stimulate her blood flow.

At the mechanical click of a shutter, Chihiro turned to see Arata a little over 100 feet from them. He was crouched with his camera. The lens looked to be far longer than it had earlier in the day. Mei caught Chihiro's attention once more as she dropped into a squat, and greedily sucked air into her lungs. Chihiro was standing over her now, and Mei's little fingers were still clinging to Chihiro's longer ones. She was so small Chihiro realized. When standing, Mei only just reached Chihiro's shoulders. Chihiro reasoned that that had to make her around 5 feet in height, which wasn't all that short, but she was petite as well. Chihiro readjusted Mei's flower garland. It had gone askew during their frantic race and was in danger of slipping off her cherubic curls. Mei looked up then, she seemed to have recovered and was smiling in thanks.

"Don't move!" Arata cried. Both girls stiffened at the sound and then slowly relaxed their postures. Arata moved forward a few steps and then slid to the left a couple feet, angling up the shot. He looked at the girls with a critical eye and then peering through his lens he found the height at which brought the most character before fiddling with the knobs and shutter speeds to assure himself of the most precise image. Rays streamed through the filter of leaves painting the pair in soft reds, oranges and gold. It was a striking contrast amidst the new darkness of the wood. He snapped a couple of pictures and then he stilled as he heard a rustling above. A blast of wind was coming, it tore through the trees and he tensed. Studying his subjects with bated breath; he waited. Then it struck him, "turn your gazes this way, to the camera." Both girls shifted their faces marginally until they were staring into the lens. From the way he was kneeling proposal –style on the floor, Chihiro appeared to be looking down her nose at him. Mei was at his eyelevel, peering at him from behind a veil of hair. Arata snapped a picture, but did not leave his position, so the girls waited. Chihiro looked like a spirit: beautiful, untouchable, and from the way she appeared to be staring him down though half-lidded eyes, vengeful. Mei looked like her charge. She seemed to embody the wearied soul of a flower; her spine was curved into a graceful crescent, and she rested a cheek on her tulle-covered knees.

Then he felt it: a whisper, a kiss of wind, a promise of the upcoming gale. He braced himself. One knee pressed into the stone ground, Arata steadied his camera on his raised knee, and he planted his foot firmly. He had one chance. It hit, attempting to topple him over. The wind found him be immobile, and in its impatience flowed around him; the way water would a stone. Before even bothering to blink he snapped a series of shots. The airstream whipped around the pair, snatching weaker leaves from branched fingers. The girls looked like a force of nature, their gowns and hair lifted in layers making them appear weightless. The glowing light rendered them with a transparent vibrancy that was unsettling and dreamlike. The leaves clawed at their hair, but the girls held their ground. Arata must have taken at least 40 pictures in the 6 second time span. As suddenly as it had come, the wind died off. Leaves drifted lazily to the ground and Arata lowered his camera. He straightened eager to see his reward on the display panel. Chrissie came up behind him, and peered around his shoulder while he flipped through the shots. He felt more than heard her gasp. Arata looked up at the girls still rooted in place and he gave them a cheesy thumbs up. "That was perfection!" Both girls beamed in response and Chihiro hauled Mei back up to her feet.

* * *

The tunnel was farther than they had originally thought. The sun was going lower in the sky so Chrissie and Mei decided to head back to the car to bring back flashlights and coats. Arata, meanwhile, directed Chihiro to dance around and enjoy herself amongst the trees. At first she felt self-conscious and didn't know what to do. Arata never took the camera from his face though so she pretended he wasn't even there. Hmm, what would Mei do? Instantly she began spinning around in slow circles. Then she skipped to tunnel and she had to place a hand on her crown to keep it attached. Hearing the shutter and clicks of the camera spurred her on. She must be doing something right. Chihiro wasn't paying as much attention as she should have however, because she tripped over a root, stubbing her toe and falling to the floor in the process. "Owww," Chihiro groaned. She had fallen hard. Her knees, and forearms would definitely be bruised tomorrow. Arata had been right behind her, looking through the eyepiece, when he saw her sail to the floor. Miraculously he had managed to get a picture of her in midair and it looked as though she was flying, but of course that wasn't of any importance at the moment he thought, rushing forward.

"Chihiro?! Hey you ok?" She rolled onto her back, arms splayed overhead, she looked like a ballerina, and suddenly the photographer took over and he forgot about his model's wellbeing. "Freeze!" He was already snapping pictures, but she was not in the mood.

"Arata! I just had my butt kicked by the friggen ground! Don't you think that takes a little precedence here," Chihiro groused. She tried to move into a sitting position, but the impossible dress had somehow managed to wrap her like a mummy. A big hand was shoved into her face, and Chihiro looked up in surprise. Arata had a sheepish smirk glued to his lips.

"It's not going to bite; not by itself anyway." Arata purred. Chihiro snorted, but she was stuck, so she didn't see many other options, and gruffly took his hand. Arata leaned back to pull her up, but she still couldn't get her legs out from under her. "Geez, Newbie, you're always such a pain in my ass." Arata tittered. He dropped her hand to instead grab her by the waist. Then he preceded to lift her into the air. Shocked, Chihiro's hands gripped Arata's shoulders, and she couldn't stop the blush that bloomed into her cheeks.

"Eep, put me down you asshat!" She flailed her legs wildly, causing Arata to struggle against her sudden shifts in weight. He set her down, and Chihiro quickly twisted out of his grip. Immediately, she noticed how her big toe began to throb painfully and she lifted the dress to get a better look. She had ripped her toenail and her foot was caked with blood and dirt over the injured digit. "Ah, shit," she hissed and she sat back down; careful to hike up the skirt to her knees first, so she wouldn't get stuck again.

"Ooh that looks nasty," Arata stated, crouching down beside her. Chihiro glared. "Hey, don't blame me. You should have been watching where you stepped in the first place."

"Meh meh meh, watch where you step, foohey," She stuck her tongue out. She knew she was being childish, but it really, really, REALLY, fucking hurt! Chihiro hissed as Arata picked up her foot. "Ah watch it!"

"Relax newbie, you are in excellent hands." To this Chihiro crossed her arms and glowered. Arata chuckled at the malice in her stare. "What? I used to volunteer at a hospital when I was young and ambitious. I can administer first aid, easy." He then gently propped her foot in his lap. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a sky blue handkerchief and surprisingly enough a pocket sized first aid kit. He shrugged his backpack off and pulled out a water bottle and a utility knife. Chihiro watched, fascinated, as he twiddled the utility knife until a small set of scissors extended. He cut the handkerchief into halves and then cut those again, until he had four long strips. He wet a strip with a bit of water, and then looked up at her, "this is going to hurt Newbie. But I gotta clean you off before I can assess the damage." Chihiro gulped and nodded. Arata grabbed Chihiro's foot in one hand.

"No wait!" Chihiro cried. She laid back and squeezed her eyes shut, "Ok go." Arata again took up her foot and, with more gentleness than Chihiro thought he possessed, he began to clean the blood and mud off her wound. It didn't hurt yet, well not more than it did already anyway, so that had to be a good sign. "OWW!"

"Keep still," Arata barked. He had just barely touched her toe, when she ripped her foot from his grasp. "What good does it do you to fight huh? Dumbass." He tried to hide the fact that she had scared him. Picking up a clean strip of cloth, he wet it a bit more than the last. "Ok, I'm about to clean it, so don't you dare move." He said levelly. Chihiro still had her eyes squeezed shut and she took a shuddering breath before shoving a knuckle between her teeth. "Ready?"

"Mhmm," Chihiro, sucked in a breath. She felt him moving slowly, and steadily. With a whimper, she bit into her knuckles to the point of almost breaking the skin. Tears trailed from the edges of her eyes, down her cheeks, to her ears. Chihiro heard something rip, and a crackling noise. Then she felt him wrapping up her foot and she dared to sit back up for a better look.

"Well, you can't be positive without an X-ray, but I'm pretty sure you just stubbed it real bad, and tore your nail up a bit. It didn't feel like anything was broken, and you don't have any extra swelling so that's a good sign. I put an ointment and a bandage over the nail to help it heal. You'll be fine."

"What's the handkerchief for?" Chihiro sniffed.

"That will just cushion it a bit, and keep dirt out, since Somebody was smart enough to leave her shoes in the car." Poor thing he thought. Her makeup had run, giving her green tinged raccoon eyes and she had dirt on her cheek. He wanted so badly to take a picture. People literally made models cry on purpose for shots like this.

Chihiro heaved a sigh, and then ran a wrist under her nose, "thank you."

"Don't mention it," Arata grinned. He dug into his other pocket and handed Chihiro a different, uncut, handkerchief.

"Geez, where do you get all these," Chihiro laughed; gratefully accepting the bright pink square cloth to wipe her eyes and nose.

"When I was a kid I was convinced I was going to be in the circus so I bought a bunch of young magician kits. Now I have a lifetime supply of colorful hankies." Chihiro laughed then. She held the now slightly damp handkerchief out to him. Arata, made a face, "Naw, you keep it."He sighed, "Alright, let's get you up. We may as well head back to the car; it's a long way off."

"But what about the tunnel?" Chihiro motioned behind her, "it's right there!"

"Yeah but look at you. You're hurt,-"

"Just my toe!"

"I wasn't finished. You're hurt, you dirtied your dress, and your hair and makeup is all messed up."

"That will just make it more authentic and artistic," Chihiro countered. "Come on, we came all this way risking life and limb," she gestured dramatically at her foot, "and it's right fricking there!" She didn't know why she had such a strong desire to go there, but Chihiro had always been stubborn. And once she got something in her mind, she held on until she followed it through. By the way Arata pouted, and looked at the tunnel entrance; now not five yards from them, she knew, she had already won.

"Fine, Newbie but if Chris asks, this was your idea. Got it?"

"Quick, help me up and, let's go!" she crowed. Arata rolled his eyes, and putting a hand on his hip, he extended the other out before her. Chihiro gritted her teeth and tried to hide her grimace as she pulled herself back up. In truth she hurt all over, and her body was screaming to give up and go home. Steeling her back and walking on her heel, she hobbled to the arched doorway. At the entrance she stopped and looked back. Arata was shoving everything back in his bag. The smiling stone guardian seemed to taunt her, daring her to pluck up the courage to enter alone. A gentle wind pressed her forward. Oh well, Arata was right behind her, she'd be fine.

* * *

Arata watched Chihiro disappear into the tunnel entrance, and for a second he was going to run after her. But then he noticed the girls in the distance heading his way and decided to meet them halfway. The sun would set in a few minutes anyway and he didn't want them getting separated. They were all going to end up in the tunnel one way or another, Chihiro would be fine on her own for a little while.

* * *

The tunnel was smooth and unadorned. She used the rock wall to help her forward and a strange bubble of excitement began to rise within her. Her footsteps were gradually growing into an echo. The tunnel gave way to a giant room. Stone pillars with light fixtures held sentry to what must have once been a great hall. Her throbbing foot all but forgotten, Chihiro marveled at her surroundings. Small circular windows adorned to walls providing a soft glow of painted light, in blues, pinks and yellows. She continued forward, there was another archway directly opposite her. Light streamed through it, it must be an exit. Chihiro shuffled forward, wishing she could go faster. The sun was starting to set, that was evident in the now orange tinged sunrays. She continued on in earnest, if Arata missed it then, oh well. The exit gave way to a vast meadow. "Wow," she breathed. There was grass as far as the eye could see and the hills here were dotted with many more of those strange statues. She looked up at the pink tinged sky and saw a path leading up the hill. "This place would be great for a picnic," Chihiro mused. Then that strange feeling came again. She had forgotten something.

Brushing the thought away, Chihiro trudged up the path. She saw a bunch of stone steps and frog statues sitting across what looked like a dried up riverbed. There were large boulders dotting through it and if she was uninjured, she would have been make it across easily. Deciding to take a different approach she lowered herself into the creek bed. Being careful of loose pebbles she picked her way across. She looked up. The sun was setting faster than she had anticipated; she was going to miss it. Moving quicker she realized she was going to have to climb over at least a couple boulders, they were so close together, there was no other way to get around. Once she had gotten back down, she realized she had made it across. Well almost. She was attempting to clamber over the ledge of the riverbed and get back on level ground when the sky suddenly changed from orange-red to purple. Instantaneously the ground began to rumble and Chihiro lost her hold. A roar, like the rush of a waterfall, made Chihiro's stomach leap into her throat; then looking down in surprise, Chihiro saw water rise over her feet. It was to her ankles when she realized that it wasn't that the creek must not have been as dry as she had first thought, but that it was refilling. She looked up, just as a wall of water headed straight for her.

Screaming Chihiro raised her arms protectively above her head. Root-like vines wrapped around her wrist and pulled. She was launched out of the path of the incoming river and into the arms of some bulbous white thing. Eyes wide with fear, Chihiro screamed once more. What could only be a human sized radish looked back at her in alarm. But radishes weren't human sized! And they sure as hell didn't have eyes! She ripped herself out of the freakish vegetable's grasp. Screw this, I'll swim back across, she thought. But when she turned around, there was nothing but water stretched out before her. Like a great black sea. "I'm dreaming," she chanted. "I must have knocked myself out when I fell! That is the only logical explanation!"

"Well, Chihiro, you've finally decided to grace us with a visit. It certainly has been a long time." At the mention of her name, Chihiro froze.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Ahh, I'm sorry, I had to leave you with a cliffhanger!

Who is it that has greeted our fair Chihiro? Did the Radish Spirit suddenly learn to speak? What about the photo-shoot?

_Don't worry the next chapter will be up soon._

Please review/ favourite if you so choose.

Thanks for reading!

Boots


	5. Chapter 4, Undone

Disclaimer: Hayao Miyazaki owns all

* * *

**Undone**

As a child Chihiro had a fondness for dolls. She especially liked bug-eyed, crazy-haired, troll dolls. The ones with bejeweled belly buttons were her favorite. Just now, Chihiro found herself staring up at a seemingly female creature, and all she could think about was whether or not there was a jewel in her navel. There were jewels everywhere else: on fingers, in earlobes, and wrapped around her invisible neck. It wasn't just her jewelry though, the wrinkled, large headed woman looked like a troll doll come to life. She had large, bulbous eyes, shadowed in purple, and an enormous pink wart sat directly between them; it overlooked the woman's lengthy nose. The troll woman's hair was piled into an onion shaped topknot, and Chihiro wondered if more jewels were stuck in there somewhere; but the woman was up too high for her to see. "It is not polite to stare," the troll woman sneered. Automatically Chihiro looked at the floor and snapped her mouth shut. She was not even aware she had been gaping, until she heard the clack of her teeth. As she was looking at her feet Chihiro discerned that long shadows were extending from beneath her and trailing up the stairs. With a sharp turn she watched, wide eyed, at what appeared to be some kind of carnival boat approached the riverbank. "Come quickly. This way," the troll woman hissed.

Chihiro spun back around to face her. "Where am I?"

"Now is not the time for stupid questions! I said come," she commanded; and with a forceful gesture of her red-nailed fingertips Chihiro felt her body go numb, and she gasped, and she was launched up the stairs. Turning her head back to the boat she saw the tuberous vegetable, which had saved her earlier, wave a paper fan. He seemed to saying goodbye and good luck. Chihiro turned her face forward and wished she could close her eyes, but was too afraid to. Her world became a blur of sounds, colors, and smells as she flew through what she assumed to be a marketplace. The scent of food arrested her nose and made her mouth water, clinking and chatter filled her ears, and red paper lanterns danced before her eyes.

Just as quickly as it had begun everything stopped. As Chihiro was released, from whatever strange magic the troll witch had put on her, she collapsed in a fit of vertigo and was suddenly happy that she had missed lunch and dinner as she dry heaved onto the grass. "Ugh, humans are such disgusting creatures. Get up you weakling." When she was able, Chihiro shakily stood back up. They were standing on the front lawn of an enormous cottage. It could have been a mansion Chihiro thought, but somehow it didn't look stately enough and the thatched roof screamed cottage. Flower bushes the colors of sunset surrounded the place, hiding the cottage from prying eyes, Chihiro thought. "My quarters have changed since last we met Chihiro," she growled, "because of you. Now hurry up and come inside. If I don't feed you, you'll disappear altogether and that wouldn't let me exact my revenge now would it?"

"I'm so confused," Chihiro breathed. She felt dizzy and sick. Her mind spun as it was being pulled into a million different directions. What had happened at the river? What was that radish thing? How did the troll lady know her? What was this place? Did she just fly? It was all too much for her rational mind to handle. Chihiro collapsed in a heap and buried her face in her hands; only, it didn't work. Usually the dark enclosure of her fingers served as a comfort mechanism, by blocking out the world and shieling her face from view. This instance was decidedly different. Before her mind could attempt to comprehend that she was looking through her fingertips, the way one looked through a window, she fainted.

"What a sniveling excuse for a being," the old woman snorted derisively. She snapped her fingers, and the limp form bound in fluttering cloth, followed her into the house like a marionette on invisible strings.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry for the dreadfully short chapter but I am determined to update at least once a day, and I have had a terrible migraine since I woke up this morning. Much more of this chapter was already written and I just needed to type it up, but I decided to take the time to simply proofread what I already typed and submit it before I pass out and fail my goal.

Thank you for reading! 200+ views in only 3 days is absolutely astonishing, and I cannot thank you all enough.

And a shout out to LeeshyLoo, WhiteTiger246, and HappyPiratePandas for the lovely reviews and a big thank you to LenenaxX and Ialiceiamagodness for the favorites!You have spurred me to continue when I was just beginning to give up this endeavor. Thank you!

Please review or leave a comment if you like. Just a hello is always welcome.

Boots


	6. Chapter 5, Unexpected

Disclaimer Hayao Miyazaki owns everything

* * *

**Unexpected**

With an arm slung lazily around his girlfriend's shoulders, Arata and the girls reached the tunnel entrance just as the sun set. Though the building and the trees impeded much of the view, it was still a spectacular sight. They watched the trees be bath in a limited rainbow of gold, orange, red and finally a deep purple. Darkness hit quickly then and he was glad the girls had had the foresight to bring flashlights. "Chihiro," Mei called into the tunnel mouth, her voice reverberated in a strange and garbled echo. "Chihiro, I brought you your shoes and an extra pair of socks, oh and your sweater!" She waited, listening for any signs of her friend. "Honestly Arata, what were you thinking, to leave her alone like that? What if squatters are living there?" Mei threatened angrily.

"Relax Mei; you're always so paranoid, I'm sure she's fi-oof!" His words choked off when Arata bucked over a large boulder, nearly taking Chrissie down with him. "The fuck is this doing here?" Arata grumbled. Luckily, it had just caught his thigh so he was still able to walk at the present moment, and he thanked the spirits that hadn't dropped his ridiculously expensive camera. Mei turned on a flashlight, and shone it in the direction of the offensive geologic lump, only to see that it wasn't a natural rock at all, but a grinning stone statue. The three of them warily regarded the blank eyes that seemed to look everywhere and nowhere at once. The mouth curved upwards but not in a smile.

"Ugh, this place is creeping me out," Chrissie said, "let's just get Chihiro and get out of here."

"I second that motion," Mei stated, and her flashlight swiveled upwards to illuminate the treetops with her raised hand, emphasizing her point. Arata was going to argue about his pictures, but the good lighting was gone and he had never particularly liked the dark. Rubbing his thigh, he merely grunted his assent and made his way to the arched aperture. Chrissie and Mei liked arms behind him and Mei gingerly pushed Arata forward, "Y-you first."

Arata rolled his eyes and he flicked on his own flashlight, "Come on ladies, where's your sense of adventure?" He ignored the prickling feeling on the back of his neck and stepped into the passageway. His footfall released eddies of air that lifted long dead vegetation and dust. The thin, dry-veined corpses did not like to be disturbed, and so voiced their displeasure by skittering and scraping against the rock faced walls. The sound raked his ears like nails on a chalkboard and he heard the sharp intakes of breath behind him. "Chill, it's just some leaves, and crap." Arata tried to sound nonchalant but the words came out fast and harsh. "Let's just get Chihiro and go home. I'm starved." In truth, Arata wasn't the least bit interested in his own stomach at the moment.

"Chi- Chihiro?" Mei called softly. The walls hissed back the chi-sounds, making a mockery of an eerie cricket's song. "Oh I really don't like this," she moaned.

"Hush, Mei, it's fine. Everyone gets a little afraid when it's dark out but we're fine, we have flashlights and each other," Chrissie soothed.

"But what does Chihiro have?" Mei asked concerned. At this Chrissie was left with nothing to say. They walked in silence after that.

"Babe what's the holdup?" Chrissie said when she almost walked straight into Arata. Peering around Arata's tall frame she gasped when she saw what lay before him. In the distance the wail of a train could be heard.

* * *

Hands clasped behind his back, he stood in silence, and beyond the red wooded railing, he surveyed the scene below. Everything was running efficiently, just as it should. Through clouds of perfumed steam, he watched a customer pay his dues in sparkling sapphires. Not his favourite stone but all earthly glitters managed to make his mouth water and his blood sing. He fought down the instinctive urge to race down and claw the jewels out of the attendant's grasp. With a sigh he turned his cool green gaze away; returning to his office to busy himself with paperwork. Once inside however, safe in his den, he opened his trunk and smiled. Inside were all of his favourite things. Emeralds, rubies, diamonds, amethysts, opals, pearls, gold and so much more. Enough riches to buy a small country, but still not enough for him. Running a finger though the shinning treasure he hummed contentedly. Dragons had always had a bit of a hoarding problem.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Migraine is still here, so another abysmally short chapter, but I wanted to keep my chapter a day promise.

Anyway I wanted to give a view of what was going on, on the other side of the "sea." (What did the gang find?) And reintroduce a character you might recognize. This isn't exactly his most flattering introduction but hey, we all have our own little vices right?

I know, I know, I'm a tease.

As always, thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you.

Boots


	7. Chapter 6, Sighting

Disclaim, you know the drill by now; Miyazaki owns it, I don't.

Oh and btw James Cameron, owns Titanic, just putting that out there.

* * *

**Sighting**

Mouth coated in slipper fuzz, and dipped in sour milk; at least that was how Chihiro felt about it. She was just on the fringes of consciousness and attempted to stretch; only for her joints to pop and her muscles to protest violently. If she had known she was going to ache so badly, she never would have taken over Lucy's shift at work. She obviously wasn't cut out for 16 hour days. Must have been tired, to have such a crazy dream last night, she thought. Rolling over onto her belly, against the express wishes of her aching body, Chihiro tried to piece together that ridiculous scenario her brain had made up. First there was a person sized radish that saved her from a sudden sea. Obviously, her body was trying to tell her to eat more vegetables and drink more water, she reasoned. Then a magical troll doll had abducted her and taken her home. Maybe her inner child was telling her that she was depriving herself somehow? Then she was disappearing into thin air; she didn't need a telephone psychic to tell her what that meant. Sighing, and burying her face into the soft pillow she breathed in the comforting smell of lavender and sage. Wait a minute, she didn't use scented detergents because her mother was allergic, what the hell? Her eyes flew open immediately to a pattern of red and white checkered print. This definitely wasn't her bed. Getting up on all fours, she gasped, pain shot to her wrists and knees. The floor tilted aggressively beneath her.

Was it an earthquake? Nothing else was shaking, or rattling. She realized it was her sudden movement that had caused a strange rocking sensation to the floor. Was it a floor? Chihiro looked about her and saw what give the impression of a tall, but not very wide, red wooden fence on her left. Twin flat railings positioned in front of and behind her; her right side was decidedly blank however. Plucking up her courage, she slowly inched her way to the lip of it; clutching to the checkered cushion in an attempt to stay grounded. The floor was between 10 and 12 feet below, and it slowly dawned on her that she was perched on a colossal red rocking chair. She must still be asleep, she reasoned. Well, now that she was aware of the situation, she may as well get down.

But how to do it? Maybe if she made her way to one of the armrests, then she could find a leg to slide down on. Carefully, Chihiro made her way back to the center of the chair and slowly, so slowly, crossed an armrest. The chair didn't rock so violently when she kept her weight centered between its spine and its rim. Rising up onto two feet, she gripped the arm support as though it were a safety guard. Leaning over, she positioned herself above a chair leg; and then, remembering the epic scene from _Titanic, _she took a cue from Rose and lifted one leg after another until she was out of the safety of the chair's arm. She lowered her body into a squat, balancing on the balls of her feet. Chihiro gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain she felt in her right foot, and tentatively released her grip on the arm support in favour of the edge of the chair. Dropping her body off of the seat, her forearms screamed from disuse. Should have done more pull ups in high school, she thought. Letting her body hang, she tried to grip the chair leg with her feet.

The long dress she was garbed in made it difficult, since it was longer than she realized and hung below her feet; it constantly made her slip against the red painted wood. She panted in effort as sweat beaded on her upper lip. Palms were starting to cramp from effort, as they slid over the slick coat of paint. With an exhaustive effort she swung her body back and then forward and just barely managed to hook her legs around the thick pole of wood. Her grip slacked for a second too long, and she plummeted. She threw her body forward in an attempt to save herself. With a sickening crack, her brow slammed against the hard log. Stars swam before her eyes and for a moment she forgot to breathe, she almost lost the flailing grip she had gotten earlier, but clung on, out of sheer desperation. Her body slid sluggishly to the floor, in what seemed to be an endless drop. This was turning out to be one hell of a dream. Did dreams always hurt so vividly? She had heard once that if you died in a dream, you died in real life. She barely felt her butt collide against the rocking chair base, pondering what that meant for her. Was she going to wake up all beaten up?

With great difficulty she disentangled her ankles from their hold; her legs dropped of their own accord and slammed against the floor. Chihiro couldn't even register pain anymore she observed. Her cheek felt oddly warm so she raised a hand to it, only for it to come back covered in red. Was the paint wet? No matter, a little paint never hurt anyone. She briefly hoped it wasn't lead based. She staggered to her feet and mechanically started walking forward. She didn't recognize anything. At first, Chihiro had thought that she must have shrunk or been in a giant's home within her dream, but there were regular sized dining tables and chairs amidst a few scattered oversized things. Grand Persian style rugs were drinking up drops of blood as she padded over them; damask patterned high-backed lounge chairs were arranged artfully. Stained glass lampshades adorned with jewel colored peacocks and pansies were poised on crystal tabletops, and they released soft warm light to guide her way. She spotted a door within a door. One was at least two stories high, while the other was easily a third that. Stumbling eagerly forward, Chihiro felt a bubble of hope. If she could open the door, she would be free; she could wake up and this nightmare would end.

Her thigh banged into a table. It should have hurt, but it didn't. She watched without a care as the table overturned, spilling a metal vase adorned with roses and water over the dark planks of the floor. The clatter was harsh but she continued unheeded. She pushed a ball her size out of the way and her heart began to pound. She was at the door, she gripped the knob eagerly and with a vicious twist, her heart sank. It was locked.

* * *

The old witch groggily opened her eyes to the sound of clatters and crashes coming from the living room. It was early morning, surely her son hadn't woken up yet, he had barely fallen asleep at dawn. Maybe he had had a bad dream. Easing herself out of the warm cocoon of her fluffy, pillowed bed, she groaned as her bones creaked. She was much too old to have a 10 year old, she thought, not for the first time. Bundling herself up in a luxurious robe she slipped into her satin slippers and exited her bedroom. Down the long hall she heard loud bangs and sounds that distinctly weren't the reminiscent of Bou's playtime. She hurried and was shocked to find her beautiful home left in total chaos. Her mouth dropped when she saw Chihiro hurling lamps and plates at her front door. The girl was even more disheveled than when she had left her. "WHAT IS THIS RUCKUS!?" she bellowed. The witch had the satisfaction of watching the girl flinch and freeze. She scrutinized Chihiro, as the girl spun on her heel to face her. She couldn't help but gasp. The girl looked positively feral. A deep gash had split her left eyebrow. Matted hair stuck to her cheek; dried blood painted her face and neck a ruddy brown. Her previously dirty ruffled dress was flattened from sleep, stained with blood, and torn and frayed from her exercises of the morning.

"I want to get out," Chihiro said. Her breathing was labored but her words were clear. This only served to further anger the witch. What an insolent little maggot: and after the witch had gone to all the trouble of feeding her lifeless body when she had collapsed and was on the verge of disappearing. Smoke billowed out of her cavernous nostrils and her hair began to float with negative energy.

"You will leave when I say you can leave," she screeched rushing forward. She stopped directly in front of the girl. The witch sourly noted that it was less intimidating with the girl towering above her. And she didn't look worried in the slightest. In fact Chihiro looked angry. Bristling with irritation the witch puffed up to her full height, "You owe me girly, you will do as I say!"

Her head was pounding, once the adrenaline had worn off, Chihiro found herself to be in intense pain; it wracked her body from her head to her toes quite literally. Therefore, she couldn't hold back her black feelings like she usually did, when she cried, "listen you bitchy little troll, I have had enough of this clusterfuck! Dream or no dream, I am going home!" With an accusatory finger pointed at the troll woman she lowered her voice, and let her pain twist into volatile anger; her tone dripped with unbridled venom when she spoke next. "You cannot keep me here. Open this door now." The old woman blinked in shock, and unthinkingly, snapped her fingers. The lock popped open and the door swung wide. Chihiro turned her face to the sunlit patio and sighed. Bracing her pain wracked body; she limped out of the witch's house and didn't look back.

* * *

He often woke early. He relished when all others were sound asleep in their bedrolls; this was the only time he could be himself. No one was awake to cry for, "Master Haku," every time a customer needed help, or a bath broke, or just when his moronic subjects were being idiots. That was unkind, he admonished. They couldn't help themselves; it was in their nature. He rose from his large four-poster bed and walked to the glass-pained, patio door. Ever since he had overthrown Yubaba, and become lord of the bath-house, he had claimed her rooms as his own. He hadn't been so heartless as to throw her out in the cold, as she would have undoubtedly done to him. A large cabin was built for the old witch and her son to live peacefully on the outskirts of town. Her job was now to care for the pigs, the poor souls she tricked into eating the food of the spirits. Over the past 10 years she had never forgiven him, and never repented for her misdeeds. Enough thoughts of the past, he thought, this was his time now.

Letting the sun warm his chilled skin, he breathed in the sweet autumn air. He looked out over the glades below, covered in a thin lake. In the upcoming fall it would swell and he could swim to his heart's content. He closed his eyes and leaped from the balcony. He felt his hair whip in the wind; his white robes swirled around him and adhered to his long lean body. The hairs on his arms and legs shrank into his hardened skin and it morphed into shimmering white scales. His nails thickened and elongated. His bones changed: spine lengthened, skull stretched to sport a muzzle, and his skeleton shifted from that of a biped to a quadruped. He opened his glittering green eyes as he roared in pleasure, it felt so good to be free.

Surfing the wind, he reached out his claws to skate them along the refractive water's surface. He loved watching the light dance. Birds chittered their displeasure, as his antics disrupted their fishing grounds. He bared his teeth in response and laughed internally when the gesture caused the silly creatures to nearly lose their feathers. Slowing his movements, Haku, dipped his body into the freezing waters. It was invigorating, and he splashed about in it, much like a child. Thinking about a child with a runaway pink shoe sobered him. He had promised her that they would meet again, but had known in his heart that that was just a dream; a silly wish to reassure the breaking, childish hearts of young love. Rolling onto his back, head still held underwater, he looked up at the sun through the moving glass. It was fluid, and living. The sun looked like a blossom uncurling its rays, to reveal its life giving joy to the world. Water always calmed him. He missed his river, had tried to find a way back to it from the spirit world but according to Chihiro it had been destroyed long ago, so here he remained.

* * *

Lost amidst the myriad of houses and streets, Chihiro tried to retrace the way they had come. It was futile. They had been moving too fast for her to remember the way, and even if she had it was daytime. Any landmarks were changed by the morning light. Besides it was always difficult to recognize things when they were painted by the moon, she thought. She growled in frustration and her stomach reiterated the sentiment. Perhaps she had been too hasty to leave the old troll. She at least could have gotten some answers, and maybe some breakfast before she left. She felt bad immediately after yelling at her. Even if the ugly old bat had deserved it, she thought. Still she couldn't ignore how badly she hurt anymore. Earlier she had sneezed and felt something open up above her eye. She used a window to get a look at her reflection and almost cried. Fresh blood dribbled out of a cut in her brow and dripped onto her face. She looked like she was wearing a mask of brown and red. She was angry at herself for looking at it. Injuries always hurt more when you saw them. She hadn't fully given up the possibility that she was asleep but all the pain she was in suggested otherwise.

Something caught her eye then: a pink pavilion, with a green door. It had an imprint of a flower and stained glass windows. A weathered statue of a fish head lay in front of it, and the head overlooked some stairs. The sickening feeling that she was forgetting something was back, and it made her ears ring and her stomach churn. She studied the sign in front it was adorned with a pair of red lips hung sideways with a strange mustache, looking like two thin spirals. There was something creepy about it. She shuddered, and decided to ignore the stairs. That was when she heard the train. The horn made her feel like something normal was back in her life. Maybe if she found the train she could get back home! She took a revitalizing breath, tore a strip from her dress and held it against her head to staunch the bleeding. She'd be damned if she was going to let herself pass out from blood loss before she could get to that train.

She had been walking for what felt like forever going in circles upon circles, one thing was for sure though; she was going down. Without realizing it, she had been headed down a long hill. The slope was gradual, so much so, that it took a great passage of time for her to feel the weariness in her shins and calves from keeping her upright. Taking a deep breath, she stopped and sat at a low stone fence. She was sweaty and tired. Despite the breeze in the air, the sun was high in the sky. Her cut had bled twice more, but now was so caked in blood she doubted it would reopen. Her skin felt crusty from the dried blood and her hair was matted and sticky. Far to her left, she saw a large clear lake. Surely, washing up would help her to clear her head. She walked, stumbled, picked herself back up and continued; much like she had been doing all morning long. At the shore she sighed, breathing in the clean, fresh air. She lifted her skirt up to her thighs and was about to wade in, when her mouth gaped in shock. She could scarcely believe the damage she was seeing. From her knees down, her legs were painted in mottled spots of watercolor reds, purples and blues. Her knees had scrapes and a thin trickle of dried blood coated one ankle. On her right thigh, a long black bruise left the evidence from knocking over the table that morning. What would her mother say, she thought sadly. She was in such a state she was almost afraid to return home. They would likely hospitalize her, or send her to a mental institution if she told them what had occurred in this un-dreamy, dream world. Then she noticed her bandaged foot. The sky blue cloth was now a dirty green. She had bled through it, making a strange triangular heart shape of brown, at the toe. She didn't even want to know what the rest of her looked like. She had gotten a fleeting, shadowed glance in a window, but was scared of assessing the real damage in the mirror. She dropped her skirt back down and stepped into the water.

* * *

The dragon had been snoozing in the shallows when he sensed another presence. Lifting his snout above the water he snorted the liquid out and took a deep breath. It was human, female, it was almost familiar, and then he registered the scent blood, sweat, and fear. Feeling slightly alarmed Haku silently willed himself back into his more human form. He didn't want to scare her, he reasoned, and the best way to get her to leave would be peacefully. Once he no longer had scales, horns, and a tail, he lifted his head above the water and observed the girl. Not a girl he thought, a woman. She was standing with the water up to her thighs and was bent at the waist, splashing water onto her arms; like she was washing. He wasn't as far away as he thought, maybe a couple yards at most. So as not to panic her, he stood slowly. The sound of water plopping down from his now drenched robes must have alerted her to his existence, because her head snapped up. His eyes widened in recognition at the bloodied woman, in the torn and dirty, yellow gown.

* * *

Somewhere in the back of Chihiro's mind words echoed, "Once you meet someone, you never really forget them."

* * *

**Author's note:**  
I apologize most sincerely for not uploading this yesterday. I had to go out of town to go and meet my new housemate. We hit it off swimmingly, yay! Now that that's all settled, I can start getting stuff ready to move. Both exciting and terrifying! (But enough about me.)

A HUGE thank you to Wide-Eyed-Wonderer, , Abcdefg824, authorgal282 for the warm wishes and the wonderful reviews. I feel so much better now, thank you for being so sweet and so patient.

As for our story, well we still have some groundwork to cover before we can truly get to the thick of it, but I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I do writing it.

As always thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you!

Boots


	8. Chapter 7, Parting

Disclaim, Disclaim, Disclaim like there's no tomorrow! Hayao Miyazaki created these insanely beautiful characters, and this miraculous world, he rightfully deserves all of the credit.

* * *

**Parting**

Breathe, she mentally cried. Taking her own advice, Chihiro's eyes stayed riveted on the beautiful man before her. He wore a traditional Japanese robe; it was white as pure snow and embroidered with silver, silver threaded patterns of swirls and waves adorned his chest and sleeves. She noticed very acutely, that he was wet, and the water made his clothing cling to his well-built chest. He was more defined than Arata. He wasn't as tall though. She straightened, mentally assessing, that he was about half a hand taller than herself. She could easily look him in the eyes without craning her neck. When their eyes met alarm bells rang, and her heart pounded in her stomach. Her throat felt dry, and she couldn't bring herself to open her mouth, so she stared. He had long black hair, she couldn't tell if it was because of the water, but it had a cast of green; and she couldn't see how long it was since it clung to his back, behind his wide shoulders His wet, shaggy bangs clung to his face hiding most of it; but she could see his eyes. Clear as green crystal glass, but insurmountably deep; and almost sad, with wisdom that betrayed his young face. She wanted so badly to step forward and brush his hair out of the way so that she could fully see him. But something kept her poised, ready to run should she need to. That same something screamed, "Danger! Predator! Hungry!" about him. He was studying her too, she realized; his silent gaze lingered on her bloodied face, ripped dress, and scrapes and bruises she wasn't yet aware of. She self-consciously took a step back and felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle when he followed her movement without pause. A breeze stirred behind her back, pulling her hair towards him. His nostrils flared as though breathing her in, and he closed his eyes.

In that split second she decided to run. She felt sick. Her mind raced with unknown familiarity; the way it did when you saw someone frequently at a coffee shop, or met someone from a kindergarten class long ago. She didn't know him, but some part of her soul recognized his, and she felt an ache in her chest as she fled. Trudging through the water was more difficult than she expected, but she fought the urge to look back and gage her progress. Kicking water and pebbles out of the way, she stumbled onto shore. The insufferable dress cinched her legs together, making running impossible. She gathered up her sopping skirt and took off. Everything was heavy and cold now. She had been stupid, should have taken her dress off first. No, that would have been worse; she should never have gone into the lake in the first place. She didn't realize she was crying until she tasted the tears. That must be why she was knocking into everything she reasoned. Her vision was blurred, and she had difficulty breathing through her nose, it was stuffing up. One hand let go of her dress, quickly, to wipe her eyes. That was all it took. The dress snagged on an invisible nail and she tripped. She looked back to free herself, but he was following closely behind. She choked out a sob, and he stopped in his tracks. She took advantage of his hesitation, to scramble back to her feet.

He had looked pained for her she thought, but she dismissed that as her feet moved of their own accord. She had been a cross country runner in her freshman year of college and all through high school; and though her muscles had grown soft and weak over the past couple years, her muscle memory took over. She had a steady stride, and even though it hurt like hell, she was determined to keep moving. At some point the protective handkerchief had ripped off, and her poor foot was being mercilessly pounded into the ground. Her breathing was tortuous but even. She looked behind her to find the man gone, only for him to reappear on her left. She shrieked and dodged, out of his path. Running up a hill the tunnel that she had first come out of across the dry creek came into sight. Was he herding her home? She didn't overthink it; instead she pushed herself faster. Racing down the hill, past the stone frogs and down the stairs; she hopped onto a boulder, in the middle of the dry river, before looking back. He was watching her from the top of the steps. Sadness clouded his face. Chihiro almost felt like waving a hand goodbye, but thought better of it. What if it encouraged him to try to possess her, like all the other strange creatures this land inhabited. She turned back to the task at hand and crossed to the other side, to home.

* * *

She didn't remember him. That had been evident when she ran away. Dragon spells were strong; it had been 10 years, long to a human, but immeasurably so to a lonely, lovesick spirit, yet it stuck. Though it was his doing, he still couldn't help the breaking of his heart, as he saw that his enchantment had taken effect. He gazed after her, a pit forming in his stomach; as she ran back to her world. As she ran away from him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

As repentance for missing a day I decided to upload this bit, now and just label it a separate chapter.

Poor Chihiro, she's had a very long day. Poor Haku, he's had a very long 10 years.

But what about Arata, Mei and Chrissie? What did they find at the end of the tunnel? Till next time.

As always thank you for reading!

Please leave me reviews, I have no idea if you like this story/ don't like it? What? I'm so lost!

**(****But in all seriousness, I could totally stop this fic, here. I need some encouragement people! It is so frustrating having 500+ views, and 10 reviews****)**

Take care,

Boots


	9. Chapter 8, Bloodbath

Disclaimer: Hayao Miyazaki created these characters, I just ran with them.

* * *

**Bloodbath**

Arata reached out a hand to the crumbled rocks before him, his fingertips came away covered in dust. Surely this hadn't just happened; they would have heard, if a bit of the tunnel had collapsed. But the last time he came here, there had been a room beyond this. He tried to find a crack, a fissure, anywhere that he could look through; to see if the whole interior had been crushed. There was no way Chihiro could be down there. No way. He could hear Chrissie praying, and Mei was calling quietly for their friend. "She's not down here," he croaked, "she can't be."

* * *

Chihiro was on the other side of the deceptively dry creek, when she came to a set of stairs; the doorway was in sight, but something inside her begged to turn around for the briefest glimpse back. Strangely she found herself both relieved, and disappointed, to see that the mysterious man had maintained his position on the stone steps across the dry river. His gaze met hers and her breath caught in her throat. For a second she saw an emotion flicker across his face. Was that hope? Her heart, that had just begun to calm, picked up tempo again as though dancing to a secret song. He took a step, and that broke the spell. Chihiro turned back to the stairs and gingerly made her way down the deep steps. She was almost free; she could collapse when she was safe and sound in her warm bed. Oh, how much she wanted a shower, and then a soak in a tub with a fizzy mango bath ball, to soften and perfume the water. When she got home, she would ask her mother for a cup of her famous lemon, ginger, herbal tea. Ask her father to take her to the hospital, so that she could have her forehead stitched up. Hopefully it wouldn't scar too badly. Meeko would be angry with her for leaving him to sleep alone. How she missed her annoying little furball. She was going to snuggle him to death. And once she got out of this horrible dress, she was going to burn it. Stepping into the cool shadow of the building she started to feel just how terribly wet and cold she was. Goosebumps pebbled her skin, and tremors spread from her spine outward, like grapevines. Her teeth chattered and she took a deep breath as she walked inside. She was not prepared for what she saw next.

Stepping into the column studded chamber she was expecting to see pastel colored circular windows, a decrepit bird bath in the corner, maybe even some leaves and dust lining the floor. She had not expected to see a cracked pillar and stone, and rocks blocking the opposite exit. Shaking hands covered her mouth, and she fought the desire to run to the opposite end and try to pry the stones out of the way. If it had collapsed once, what was going to stop the ceiling from crushing her too? What about the others!? Were they alright? Tears sprang to her eyes and it took all of her willpower not to drop to her knees. She knew that if she did that, she would not get back up again. It wasn't until the sun offered its comforting warmth that she noticed her body was dejectedly returning the way it had come.

* * *

Haku watched her head disappear from view. He sighed, he was glad she would be going back home; he wanted to help her, but the more contact they had the weaker his memory spell would become and he couldn't risk her coming back for him. Or worse, if she remembered him, and didn't bother to return. He didn't know how long he stood there. He was soaked to the bone, but the cold bothered him little. Turning away he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Hair covered her face and she was climbing over the hill on all fours. He ran down the steps to the river's edge, he could go no farther. Why was she returning? What had happened? The sound of her broken sob reverberated in his mind and his stomach twisted in his gut. At the top of the hill she laid down and he watched horrified as she rolled down the other side nearly smashing her skull against a rock. Was she reckless or just stupid? Once she reached the bottom, she groggily got back onto all fours and crawled to the edge of the creek. Helplessly, he strained against the barrier of the spirit world, wishing he could stop her agony. She looked up at him then. She looked petrified and in such pain. Strange black tears lined her cheeks; he had never seen such an occurrence before. He couldn't help himself, spell or no, "Cross the river," he commanded. "I can't help you unless you come across!" She seemed to understand and she looked up and down the creek trying to find a pathway across. He pointed one out, where the rocks made a diagonal bridge, "There, cross over there." She made her way to the first rock but then she paused.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?" Haku was at a loss.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Would you rather I didn't?"

"That doesn't answer my question," she accused. Her eyes were filled with distrust.

"I would never hurt you Chihiro. I could never hurt you," he said softly. So much for spells, he thought miserably.

"You know me?" she croaked.

"Yes," he said simply.

"Have I been here before," she asked delicately.

"Yes," he replied. Chihiro opened her mouth, but before she could say anything else, Haku interrupted. "No more questions, for now. Cross the river, and then we will talk." Chihiro looked at him suspiciously then. But she obediently moved to the next rock.

* * *

Chihiro was seated at a low table. She had been left in the care of a kind woman in pink work robes named Rin. The woman had a sweet face, shaped like a peach. Her brown hair was tied in a loose pony and her short cropped bangs stuck out like little spirals from her forehead. The most unusual thing about her was her eyebrows, they sat on her face like thick commas. Just now though, Chihiro was so busy wolfing down her meal, she couldn't have cared less if Rin had tentacles and a goat head. "Woah, slow down, no one is going to take it away," Rin chuckled. Chihiro put down her spoon and her rice bowl.

"Thank you."

Rin blushed, "Well of course, you are Master Haku's guest afterall." Haku had instructed Rin to keep all knowledge of her past relationship with Chihiro a secret. She couldn't help but feel affection for the poor girl though. She had grown so tall! "Ahem, are you finished?"

"Ummm, well I am still hungry, but I don't want to have a stomach ache; could I maybe have more later?"

"Oh, but of course!" Rin smiled kindly, "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up and then you can take a nice bath." She gently held out her hand and led Chihiro to the bath house. They went to her designated room, and she sat Chihiro on a large fluffy bath mat. Kamaji had been roused early and had already prepared a nice bath of oatmeal and jasmine, specifically for her. Rin took a beautiful ceramic bowl, emblazoned with shimmering white dragons and scooped out some of the water. Then she got some small hand towels and kneeled before Chihiro. The girl looked like she still wasn't able to relax. Rin took a towel and soaked it in the perfumed water. Then she rung it out and leaned forward, measuring Chihiro's reaction with her eyes. Chihiro flinched, as Rin stroked the towel over her cheek; slowly she relaxed her face but her shoulders remained tense. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

"Hmm?"

"Your eyebrow, you look like you got in a bar fight," Rin clarified. She tried to keep it light, and not make Chihiro feel obligated to share anything she didn't want to. She continued to clean off her face, washing off some odd green and black stuff that was caked around her eyes. She looked distastefully at the water in the bowl that had changed from clear to pink, to brown, to a grosser murky brown. Rising to get a second bowl with clean water and fresh towels, she heard Chihiro take a breath. She seemed to wait until Rin came back beside her before deciding to speak.

"Close, I got in a fight with a chair leg." At Rin's raised eyebrows, Chihiro laughed softly, "I was trying to get down from an oversized rocking chair, and I hit my head pretty hard."

"Wow," Rin said and made a face. "I thought I had a rough wake up call." She was remembering Haku shove clothes in her face and ordering her to get up for an emergency. She had, on this one instance, agreed. One look at the girl's face and she had lost all anger towards the dragon lord. "Come on, if you need a second bath we'll just get the boiler man to make up a new one for you, he won't mind." She couldn't stand watching the poor girl shiver in that poor excuse for clothing. Chihiro only nodded. Rin got up and circled Chihiro and went to help her remove the strange robe. It was tied up in ribbons, and clasped with many small metal teeth. She looked at it in confusion unsure of where to start.

"You can just cut it off," Chihiro said, she must have sensed her apprehension. "I hate this thing; it's been nothing but trouble."

"But you will need it to get back," Rin said, and then she clasped her hands over her mouth. Chihiro didn't seem to notice however, so she quickly tried to move past that slip up by undoing the strange laces.

"Press the cloth together and the clasps should slip free," Chihiro advised, and she compressed her shoulder blades to make the task easier. Rin did as she suggested, and the little hooks slipped free of their holsters surprisingly easily. When she was finished she pushed the dress off of Chihiro's shoulders and was going to help her step out of it but Chihiro clutched the fabric to her chest. Her blush was evident. "I can bathe myself, if you don't mind."

"Master Haku wouldn't like it if I left you alone," Rin responded gently.

"Well as much as I appreciate his hospitality, I don't really care what he wants," Chihiro grumbled.

At this she laughed, the girl still had the fire in her that Rin had admired, even when she was still a child, "Alright, but he won't hear that from me." Chihiro looked relieved."Tell you what, I'll sit outside the screen, and that way I'll be right here if you need me."

"Thank you," Chihiro said sincerely, and as she watched Rin walk away, her tears flowed freely. Once the woman was behind the screen, Chihiro peeled off her dress and made quick work of her undergarments. She stepped into the beautifully scented bath. At first she had been afraid that it would only further sting and pain her injuries, but from the second she touched her skin to the water a soothing, numbing, warmth took over her body. She let her whole body sink into the bath and dipped her head and face in. When she reopened her eyes the water was stained red.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ok I know, I'm horrible, I'm sorry. But sometimes you have to break down a character before you can build them back up again. And what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger… blah blah blah and whatnot. I'm not really into that I just wanted to show that even at her most vulnerable Chihiro knows who she is, and I find great strength in that.

Anyway, the appetizers are done, most of our main characters have been introduced, (yes we still have a couple to meet, but that comes later, don't be hasty) and now we can move on to the main course, yay!

As always thank you for reading!

**(And I do apologize, and I feel low for doing this; but I am honestly going to keep the next chapter hostage until I get at least 10 more reviews. I have no idea what most of you think of my story or my interpretations of the characters. I need feedback people!)**

To those of you who have been commenting regularly or who have just discovered this fic and commented recently thank you for all of your wonderful words of encouragement and for enjoying this journey.

Take care,

Boots


	10. Chapter 9, Bare

Disclaimer: Spirited Away Characters and world owned by Hayao Miyazaki

* * *

**Bare**

It had been 3 days of coddling, forced relaxation, recuperation, and endless amounts of herbal droughts and medicine baths. All but the deepest of Chihiro's bruises seemed to have melted away and soft new skin was already growing over her cuts and scrapes. She felt substantially better and was getting restless. The bathhouse lord had promised they would talk when he had first whisked her away from the river's edge, but had been markedly out of sight since he brought her here. She wanted for nothing; the strange anthropomorphic frog servants brought her whatever she asked for, though they often held their breath before entering her room.

Rin insisted on slathering her in the blood of Aloe Vera plants, and accompanied her to the baths so often that she overcame her shyness, and let her come out from behind the screen, no longer ashamed of her nakedness. At that moment Rin was lathering Chihiro's hair in a soap that smelled of lemongrass and cucumber. She couldn't help but relax, as her scalp was massaged with strong fingers. Tingles spread down her back; she remembered how her mother used to comb her hair, with long nails, while she napped in her lap on lazy summer days. She hummed contentedly and Rin laughed, flicking her ear.

"Hey," Chihiro, scoffed playfully. She flicked water in Rin's face, and Rin retaliated by shoving her head under the water. Arms and limbs flailed; she was quickly released, and Chihiro resurfaced sputtering angrily. "Hey, you bitchlet, what are you trying to do drown me?" When Rin didn't respond, Chihiro stood up fully, wiping the water from her eyes, "Rin?"

"Ahem, eh-excuse me." A deep voice said, and Chihiro looked to see Rin bowing on the floor with Haku's back retreating behind the screen.

"Oh shit!" Chihiro hissed. Rin turned her head away trying to conceal her smirk.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

To LeeshyLoo, you dear creature, thank you so much for reviewing practically every chapter, your words truly warm my heart! A Big, Big, Thank You to Tenten-Kunai, Aka, FanCriticM0 for your encouragement and your lovely reviews!

This is just a teaser, because I didn't get a full 10 reviews yet; but I didn't want to let your efforts go to waste and I wanted to keep my update a day promise. So let's try again tomorrow shall we?

**(If I receive a full 5 or more, new reviews I will upload a full chapter; otherwise, I'll just stick with these teasers. I have a character I can't wait to reintroduce, so I hope to hear from you soon.)**

As always, thanks for reading.

Boots


	11. Chapter 10, Q&A

Disclaimer: Hayao Miyazaki owns all Spirited Away Characters and world.

Disney owns Captain Jack Sparrow; there is a line from Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I didn't write that, I just borrowed it, please don't sue me!

* * *

**Q&A**

Mortified, ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, horrified, chagrined, affronted; there were not enough synonyms in the human language to encompass Chihiro's feelings at the moment. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die from the humiliation. Like a snail that had been subjected to the torture of salt; she felt raw, exposed, and well frothy, but that was most likely because of the soap. All the same, she had one shot to get this right. Clambering out of the tub, she grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around herself. She was intensely aware of the fact that she was decorated in soap bubbles and was cascading bath water in her wake; but her mother had always insisted that the best way to get past a situation was to confront it head on. Stalking past an openly shocked Rin, she stuck her tongue out before rounding the screen. She could just see Haku's form down the long hall of bath cubicles. He would be up the stairs and out of sight in a moment; the very fact that she was seeing his back, made her face flush red as a maraschino cherry. If she were to hug a snowman right now, he'd surely melt in 6 seconds flat. Bottling up her discomfort, Chihiro gulped uncomfortably and ran over the bath mats. Her lips were set in a thin line and she clung to the towel as though it were a life-jacket. Why hadn't she thought to grab a robe? As if the situation wasn't compromising enough. She mentally berated herself and slid to a stop before the stairs. Haku was already climbing the next flight, when she squeezed her eyes shut and kissed her crumbling pride goodbye. "Mister Haku?" He froze, foot in midair, before replacing it on the step he had used before. His hair was long, she thought absently. It was tied in a loose ponytail, much like Rin's, and brushed past his waist. He turned his head over his shoulder, looking down his nose at her. Chihiro self consciously pushed her soaking wet hair off her forehead, to look him in the eyes.

"What do you require," he asked, he almost looked bored. His disinterested gaze remained stoically rooted to her face as she fumbled for words.

"About just now, I…"

"I am the lord of a bath house. Yours is not the first body I have seen." He interjected smoothly.

Chihiro didn't know what was worse; his nonchalance over seeing her naked, or the fact that he didn't apologize for it. Surely any minute now her cheeks were going to pop from all of the blood that had taken residence there. Loosening her tongue from humiliation's acrid grip she blurted, "You said we would talk."

Haku released her gaze, only to trail his eyes up and down her form pointedly. Chihiro had been standing with her feet apart, and as his eyes trailed lower, her legs snapped together and her skin erupted in goosebumps. Why did she always look so disheveled in this man's presence, she thought glumly. "You seem preoccupied," he said dismissively and with a slight bow he turned away and continued up the stairs.

* * *

She looked delectable. Rosy, flushed skin covered in a measly bit of cloth. He could have swallowed her whole. His fingertips pounded with the beating of his heart, as he gripped the stair railing; it had taken all his effort to retain his composure. Haku had to get away quickly, before he allowed himself to replay what he had seen in the bath. His mouth watered; he felt confused, Chihiro wasn't a jewel. He remembered a phrase he had once heard a young pair of men say, when speaking of lovers at his river long ago, "Not all treasure is silver and gold mate."

* * *

Detective Cho had seen one too many missing person's cases turn cold. He looked at the smiling picture of the pretty, 21 year old college student and felt his heart squeeze. Chihiro Ogino looked too much like his own daughter for him to not take this case personally. He would find this girl.

* * *

Room One:

"State your name for the record please."

"Arata Sarutobi"

"Age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Profession?"

"Waiter."

"Are you stating for the record that you are not a photographer?"

Arata's eyebrow twitched. Three days of this interrogation bullshit, and endless questions that were asked in constant sequence. "I am stating for the record that I am an aspiring photographer."

"Would you care to elaborate? For the record."

"Look man, right now I don't care what the record states about me. My friend is missing! When are we going to talk about that?"

"Alright Mr. Sarutobi, lets discuss Miss Chihiro Ogino. Let's discuss why we found rags drenched in her blood in your bag."

"I already told you, she fell and ripped her toe-nail off. I administered first aid." Arata said; he was a little flustered at the sudden accusatory tone in the Detective's voice.

"And why was her blood also found on the crotch of your jeans?"

"She was lying down, and I had her foot in my lap, how else would her blood get there?"

The detective didn't answer. Instead he opened up a file and pushed a picture across the table. "Please tell me why this was the last picture we found in your camera." Arata leaned forward perplexed. There hadn't been pictures before. He recognized it immediately; it was of Chihiro right after she fell. She was on her back, arms over her head in a defensive position, her legs trapped by her dress. The look on her face was a mix of bewilderment, annoyance, and pain.

"I took this right after she fell." Arata said in mild shock. This was not turning out well at all.

"You said, you administered first aid, right after she fell."

"I took this right before that."

"Your friend was, in pain, and you decided to take a picture?"

Arata faltered, "I just, when I ran over to help, she just looked so perfect. It was the artist in me."

"If your so called 'artist' can take over when Miss Ogino was in peril, what's to say your more carnal selves wouldn't have acted on impulse as well?" Arata's face fell.

* * *

Room Two:

"State your name for the record please."

"Chrissandra Santos."

"Age?"

"Twenty-five."

"What is your profession?"

"Makeup Artist."

"You are in a romantic relationship with…"

"Arata Sarutobi."

"And how long have you two been involved?"

"A little over two years."

"Miss Santos, it has been stated by many of Mr. Sarutobi's co-workers, and friends that he is considered to be that of a player, and is described as flirty. Does this ever make you jealous?"

"Arata and I have a very open and honest relationship."

"But do you get jealous?"

"No."

"We looked through Mr. Sarutobi's portfolio and noticed there weren't any pictures of you inside."

"I don't like to have my picture taken, I prefer to help Arata in the background."

"What a supportive girlfriend." Chrissie, didn't say anything. She didn't like these detectives. "So on the day, Miss Ogino disappeared what were you doing?"

"I was helping the girls with their makeup at Arata's house, and then we drove down to the woods."

"By girls I assume you mean Miss Ogino and Miss Sarutobi?"  
"Yes."

"And what happened once you were at the wood? What was your role?"

"Arata took some pictures. I held the light reflector. It's basically a silver car visor, but it cancels out shadows and provides better lighting for when Arata is taking his pictures outside."

"What prompted you to go further into the wood, once you had already taken some pictures?"  
"Arata said there was a better location up ahead."

"And why did you leave your notoriously philandering boyfriend alone with Miss Ogino?"

"He would never…"

"Why not? Miss Ogino is a beautiful young woman, I saw the pictures and might I just say you did your job well." The detective opened up a folder and slid across a picture of Chihiro, she was laying on her back, looking up at the camera fearfully. "Does this picture not suggest that Miss Ogino may have been trying to get away from such seductions?"

Chrissie covered her hands with her mouth, this couldn't be happening.

* * *

Room 3:

"Now, Miss Sarutobi, we've already gotten your statement; you just need to answer our questions in a yes or no statement so that we can collaborate your story with that of your companions ok? Now tell me if you understand."

Mei looked back at her parents, who were seated in a corner behind her; they motioned her to answer. "Y-yes, I u-understand."

"Good, are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes."

"Your name is Mei Sarutobi."

"Yes."

"You are seventeen years old."  
"Yes."

"You attend Iwazaki High School for girls"

"Yes."

"Arata Sarutibi is your cousin on your father's side."

"Yes."

"Chihiro Ogino, and Arata Sarutobi are your co-workers."

"Yes."

"Arata Sarutobi was expelled from his University for engaging in an altercation with a police officer while under the influence of alcohol."

"What?"

"Yes, or no Miss Sarutobi?"

"What does Arata have to do with Chihiro going missing?"  
"Miss Sarutobi yes, or no?"

"Mom? Mom, what is he talking about?" By now Mei was crying, and her mother stepped to her defense.

"No more questions, we're done here." Mrs. Sarutobi said and she picked Mei up by the shoulders and led her from the room.

* * *

Meeko clawed at the curtains, and made biscuits of the bed. He knocked over books and did all of the things his human hated most but she didn't come out to yell at him. He wasn't particularly worried; she always came back, but something felt off. His human's parents kept coming into her room; smelling of saltwater and booze. They would hug her pillows, go through her pictures, smell her scarves and do all kinds of bizarre behavior. He wouldn't have minded except every time, they insisted on grabbing him, holding him petting him. Interrupting his naps was not acceptable, so he decided to do what all cats did when they were annoyed. Meeko disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Wahh! Finally we have communication! Thank you so much for the reviews, telling me what you like/ what you don't like/ what you relate to and all that. I love it!

I wasn't planning to write more to the bath scene teaser, since much of what I write is spur of the moment, and has little to do with my pre-written storyline, but since so many of you lovely folks wanted more, I gave you a wee bit more. Also much of my writing alternates with my mood. Poor Chihiro had the crap beaten out of her when I had a migraine, mainly because I was in pain and that was all I could relate to. Then she flashed Haku; I was feeling mischievous yesterday. Today was a bit more serious, but I needed to showcase what was going on with Chihiro gone, and my time is a little tied because I have to start packing to move soon. I promise to have many more Chihiro/Haku scenes up ahead.

Abcdefg824, , LeeshyLoo, FirmBeliever, Carly, and last but not least by any means DragonHeart456, Thanks so much for your reviews! I wish those of you guest accounts had your own pages so I could thank you personally as well, but alas this will have to do.

Now onto more serious topics; someone had an issue with Chihiro swearing. I you take true offense to swear words I can very easily go back and change the curse words to more colorful silly language, but I if the issue is merely with the character swearing please allow me to explain myself. Growing up, the use of swearing was almost a rite of passage, I hated swear words as a child but once I hit college age, I used swear words to express frustration around closely trusted friends, and people I didn't really give two pins for. Although Chihiro and I are nothing alike, I like to incorporate bits of myself into my characters so as to better relate to them. Much of Chihiro's language is used to show how she feels around people. Her language will change to reveal her frustration and her growing trust. If you would rather I stopped this however, please let me know.

As always thank you for reading. I hope to continue to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots

p.s. fyi: "making biscuits," is when cats walk around in circles, and claw at bedding, to make a space in the bed for themselves.


	12. Chapter 11, Inspection

Disclaim! All works owned by aforementioned creators:

Hayao Miyazaki/ Spirited Away

Lewis Carroll/Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass

Mary Shelly/ Frankenstein

* * *

**Inspection**

It was after dawn; Rin had left Chihiro in her room to go to sleep, and waved goodnight yawning all the way. With strained ears, Chihiro listened to the other occupants in the bath house settle down. She looked up at the white-washed wooden ceiling and felt a pang of homesickness. For the past week she had woken up expecting to see her plastic glow-in-the-dark stars amidst her painted clouds and her sky blue room, only to be dismally disappointed to realize she was not dreaming after all. Chihiro wished she could be like Alice and simply wake up from the nightmare that was wonderland. After a good half hour, all sounds had ceased, and Chihiro decided tonight she was going to find a way home. She slipped out from between the silk sheets and silently cursed herself for not asking Rin to leave clothing for the next day. Instead she was dressed only in a halter top and a pair of thick undergarments. No matter, she'd find something along the way. Blowing out the candle, she gave her eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. When she could discern the shapes of the furniture in the room, she opened the door quiet as a whisper, and stepped out into the hall. In a crouch, her body hunched forward and her feet raised to the balls of her feet. Chihiro absently wondered if she was standing like a werewolf, she certainly felt like it. Though it was morning, and the sun was barely opening it's eye to the world, the bathhouse was built for night dwellers, and it was built well; for the guests' at least.

Rin often threatened to steal Chihiro's bed for a proper day's sleep. She was always grumbling that the worker's quarters had huge bay windows with only a paper screen to water down the sun. How she missed her stupid gauzy curtains that didn't block out the light! She would never complain again; well not out loud anyway. At the moment, she was a bit preoccupied however, Chihiro had her arms spread out before her a la Frankenstein's monster style. Her fingers brushed against tapestries shrouded in darkness, and columns that were undoubtedly red. She stepped out of the hallway, her senses somehow telling her that she was no longer covered by walls on all sides. She could feel the vast emptiness on her skin and wrestled with the desire to retreat. Quashing down her insecurities, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, careful to keep it quiet. With searching fingertips and toes; trying to imagine her digits as antennae, she reached, and reached before finally grasping onto a painted, wooden railing. A quick assessment of the floor, or lack-thereof, and she recognized she was on a bridge. An image of a bridge the resided over the bath cubicles flooded her mind and she realized she must have made her way from the rooms to the bath house. Progress.

After feeling row, after row, of paper doors her hand came in contact, with what felt like the edge of a high wooden box. She groped it and felt a symbol embossed on the front, as well as what felt to be a seam. On closer inspection, she managed to find a button and before she could talk herself out of it, pressed it. A soft whirring could be heard, and the doors opened to a bright cheery, red-paneled elevator. Blinking back the purple spots from her eyes, she stepped inside. Puzzled, Chihiro looked for buttons, but all she could find were two levers. Like Alice with her mushrooms, she couldn't decide which one would help her with where she wanted to go. "If you want to go up, pull the lever," Chihiro felt a strange memory form, "on your right." The voice in her head sounded so much like Rin's it was eerie. Perhaps she had mentioned it once, Chihiro thought absently. Then again, the mind was a tricky thing and could very easily create false memories. Oh well, it was too late to turn back now; taking the lever on her right in hand, she pulled and wondered what had ever happened to the strange white vegetable creature.

* * *

Yubaba was angry, she had had great plans to use Chihiro, and now all of that was wasted. She had never been very good at reining in her anger. She still didn't understand why she had even let the girl go in the first place. Maybe it had been her tone, or maybe it had been all the blood, but something about her had managed to frighten Yubaba. After her momentary lapse in resolve she had rushed after the girl, but the stupid thing had gone and gotten herself lost. Locating spells were useless unless the one you were looking for knew where they were. Magic could be so fickle. So out of spite, she did the one thing she knew that she should never do. She broke the seals.

* * *

Haku was drained, never before this week had so many things gone wrong. Several baths cracked, pipes burst, the furnace welded itself shut, the kitchen caught on fire and Haku was being run ragged trying to keep up. He had to oversee all repairs because his staff just wasn't competent enough to think for themselves. It was late morning when Haku decided it was time he retired to his bedchamber. He was outside, so instead of wasting time climbing stairs and using lifts he decided to fly. His silly subjects cried out, and shied away from him, as he dropped to all fours; his body already obeying his will. When he opened his eyes again everything was enhanced and tinged green. He leaped off the rickety wooden staircase, careful not to knock anyone over in his departure. The wind pulled at him, singing softly in his ear, calling him to dance against it, but he was too tired to play today. Sniffing the air, he could taste the upcoming storm; 2 days away, it would bring rain and most likely lightning. He looked out over the spirit town, already quiet in the light of day. Circling the large ornate bath house he spotted the train and briefly wondered what he was going to do about Chihiro. He had already sent word to the one person he thought could help, but had not yet gotten a reply. He roared out a sigh. Twisting in midair, he shook out his muscles, as he approached the balcony to his apartment. His body undulated; and as he dropped, his frame shifted in his skin. With a deep breath his scales shed, to reveal new skin covered in soft downy hairs. It was always a strange sensation changing not only species, but class. In this mammalian form he was soft, and hairy; if it was his choice he would never wear this skin, but his mind was higher functioning in this form. His dragon mind was all impulse and senses, feelings were all but nonexistent.

In his exhaustion Haku didn't notice the girl crouched in the corner by the fireplace. Bare feet caressed a latticework of gold and red marble, as he crossed the room to his bed. At the silver spiraled carpet, beneath his bed, he stopped and wriggled his toes against the indulgent threads. He smiled at the slight tickle against his skin. Sleep, tempted him to lie down right then and there. With a yawn he removed his top and his undershirt and threw them in a pile on the floor. He slid out of his pants and kicked them off. They ended up somewhere under the bed, but he didn't care. He groaned when he pulled back the bedcovers. His neck and shoulders were so tight. With a long low throaty moan he leaned into a stretch, reaching his long arms overhead. His muscles rippled under his skin. When he felt significantly at ease, he climbed into bed. With a flick of his wrist, a cascade of thick black curtains blocked out the sun, and the room was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Eyes big as saucers, butterflies making a tornado in her stomach, and heart drumming in her ears; Chihiro could no longer say she had never seen a naked man before. Granted, because of the light source, his entire front had been encased in shadow but it still counted. He was an exquisite specimen. When he had peeled of his pants, his long hair had fallen forward over his shoulder and she was given an unbroken view of his back. From this distance she could count his vertebrae, and she marveled at the the ridges of his shoulder blades. His fair skin was unblemished and she was able to identify many of his muscles from her last anatomy class. She had paid particular attention to his latissimus dorsi, his trapezius, the rounded deltoids and his very firm gluteus maximus. Her eyes trailed lower to his perfectly sculpted calves and she had to press her fist in her mouth to keep from giggling hysterically. If she was a teapot, she would have been whistling; her blood was positively boiling and her face was so red, she was surprised he couldn't see her glowing like Rudolph's nose in the corner. She couldn't watch anymore! She squeezed her eyes shut, and her vision was encased in red, as the light filtered through the blood in her eyelids. Suddenly everything went cold and black and for a horrifying second, Chihiro thought she had been discovered. Her mouth dropped and her eyes flew open; she was half expecting to see the bath lord standing before her. Instead she saw nothing. From the area by the bed she heard a soft gentle snore and rhythmic deep breathing. She was officially screwed.

* * *

Wrapped up in a furry pink comforter, Mei cuddled her giant stuffed unicorn and watched Alice in wonderland for the thousandth time this week. The Cheshire cat always managed to make her feel better when things looked bleakest. She imagined that he was out looking after Chihiro, keeping her out of trouble with riddles and grins, maybe even leading her on a grand adventure. The thought of her friend, brought fresh tears to her eyes and she buried her face in the pillow's neck. Alice was being entertained by Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, against her will, when Mei's mother came in with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Sweetheart I brought your favourite, it has raspberry syrup," placing the steaming mug on the nightstand, Sakura Sarutobi climbed into bed with her daughter, and folded her in her arms. She couldn't bear to see her lovely, innocent child stained with tears, and full of sadness. She wanted to say everything was going to be alright. She wanted to tell her that they would find her friend. She wanted to say that there was no way Arata could have been involved with the girl's disappearance but the truth was, she didn't know. False hopes would hurt more than heal, so she remained silent and let her daughter weep herself into a fitful slumber.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Too many side stories, I know I'm sorry. Don't worry, they will all start coming together soon, and there will be much less juggling on my part. And hey I had to make it even; luckily it was Chihiro who got the eyeful this time. *wriggles brows suggestively*

Thank you for reviewing without my express request and well extortions, I appreciate it more than you know! DragonHeart456, and Abcdefg824, I'm glad you appreciate my quick updates! And it's good to know that you are interested in the human world and the consequences of Chihiro's disappearance as well. Carly, I only recently discovered what "making biscuits" was, when a friend noted that my cat was making biscuits and I found the term so endearing I had to incorporate it.

_Side note:_ If anything I write is confusing, or just not something you've ever heard before, please let me know! I would love to clear up any questions you may have.

As always, thank you for reading; I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots


	13. Chapter 12, Dwelling

Disclaimer: Hayao Miyazaki owns all characters and bits of this story, I just played with it.

* * *

**Dwelling**

SHIT! Shit, shit, shit, shitty shitty, bang bang; these were the words that sped through Chihiro's mind; all the while wishing that Haku was a deep sleeper. She was furious at herself. When she had gone through the red door on the left after exiting the lift she knew the room had to belong to the bath lord. She had meant to leave immediately and find her way out of the bath house once and for all, but what she saw made her stop. It was decked out like the palace at Versailles. One wall was covered from floor to ceiling in mirrors, mirrors so smooth and perfect it was unclear where the room ended, and the mirrors began. The room was sparsely but elegantly furnished, with a large bed directly in the center. The framework was polished silver vines, the detail so great she could see the veins in the leaves; pressing a hand against them, she half expected them to bend and sway at her touch. The bed was covered in fine black silks, so smooth they caught the on callouses of her fingertips. Embarrassed she snatched her hand away. She marveled at the embroidery work on the pillows. Rich reds, golds and pearly silver stood out starkly against the black. Great gold and silver bodied dragons with red eyes stared at her hungrily. They were so expertly crafted she could almost feel them breathe. Turning away she felt the goosebumps rise on her skin. Directly across the wall of mirrors was a large fireplace; big enough for Chihiro to stand inside and spread her arms wide, without being able to touch both sides at once. She knew because she had tried it. Accenting it's enormity were twin vases, that stood sentry beside it. They could easily fit enough skittles to fill a Jacuzzi. She laughed at her random thought. Taste the rainbow indeed. The vases were covered in sparkling stones in dizzying spiral patterns. She marveled at their clarity and the way they reflected the faint light of the morning. She saw a balcony out past a wall of windows, though most were painted a faint white, the doorway was unadorned. She would investigate that later she thought. A cushy gold armchair was placed before the fire and she decided to sit for a moment, and admire the splendor of the room. Looking up, she saw a great chandelier with hundreds of tiers; it resembled a hundred-legged spider. Each leg was covered in crystals that dripped to the floor. She was mesmerized; until she heard a thump on the balcony.

Returning back to the present, Chihiro tried to remember if there was anything else in the huge room: tables, chairs, anything that could be tipped over and awaken the bath lord. She waited for her eyes to adjust; only nothing changed. The darkness was complete. Unbeknownst to Chihiro, dragons have keener eyes than humans and his spell completely blocked out the light; there was no way she would be able to see. Panic rose in Chihiro's chest and she began to feel a fine mist of sweat spread over her skin. Her long hair stuck to her bare back and she lowered herself to her hands and knees, wincing as her sweaty palm skidded over the smooth marble surface. It made the ghost of a squeak and she felt her heart hammer painfully in her chest. She couldn't hear anything over the thunder in her ears. When nothing happened she let out a shaky breath. She never noticed that the snoring had ceased.

* * *

**Author's note:**

I couldn't stand leaving off where I did, so I had to make a nice teaser to wet your whistles.

See you tomorrow. ;)

Boots


	14. Chapter 13, Debris

Disclaimer: All rights and responsibilities for the characters and world of Spirited Away belong to Hayao Miyazaki

* * *

**Debris**

Scuttling along the floor, silent as a grave, Chihiro groped about blindly; wishing, praying for a wall to orient herself. After a few sightless movements forward she had gotten disoriented, tried to go back to the chair, but it seemed to have moved. Gritting her teeth, she wiped her forehead distractedly, the salt burned her eyes. She was now sweating profusely the wetness adhered, what little clothing she had, to her body and her hair clung to her in the most sickening way. Briefly she wondered if the heat was being drawn in by the black curtains, or if it was all in her imagination. She was suddenly glad for the lack of clothes; a rustle of silk sheets stilled her movements instantly, then again maybe not. The loud staccato of her heartbeat slowed to a gentler thud and she listened intently. When no other sound occurred, she took a tentative movement forward. Her kneecap slid; she never realized knees had sweat glands before, and she fell into an awkward split. This was getting her nowhere. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet, and unexpectedly felt more vulnerable than she had before. Hands outstretched she inched forward. Like one of those stupid girls in a horror movie, she had gone where she knew she shouldn't, and now she was trying to get out before she got caught by some freakazoid in a skin mask. She was shuffling her feet against the floor, afraid that if she took actual steps that she would knock something over, therefore she felt inexplicable horror when her foot caught on a rug and she tripped. She caught herself on a cool metal bar, but couldn't stop the "oomph," from escaping her lips. Biting onto a knuckle in fear she starred with unseeing eyes, prepared for doom. When nothing came, she closed her lids and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Then she pinched her cheeks in anger, squeezing forcefully, 'stupid, stupid, stupid,' she mouthed. As if that wasn't punishment enough, her heart stopped when she heard a chuckle directly before her.

"Please, don't hold back on my account." His voice was deep and harsh from sleep. Shrieking, Chihiro realized she was gripping onto his bedframe. She released it like a hot poker and stumbled backward. Haku watched in sleepy amusement as the girl ran in confused circles, chest heaving. Her pupils were fully dilated and were twin spots of black amidst the white of her eyes. "Calm down," He commanded, at this rate the poor thing was going to give herself a heart attack. She bounced against a chair and tripped over the mantle before falling into the fireplace.

"Ah- ah- achoo!" Chihiro had kicked up ashes and soot, and was now covered in cinders. He couldn't help himself; Haku started laughing. Chihiro was perched on an uncomfortable metal grate, and she couldn't stop sneezing. She could hear Haku's throaty laugh, and had the distinct impression that he must be able to see her. Her embarrassment grew tenfold and she crossed her arms and legs until she resembled a dirty pretzel. The laughter escalated and her cheeks burned. She was already in a fireplace, how fitting that she would erupt into flames from embarrassment. Wait, why was she embarrassed; it had been an honest mistake right? She tried to get out of the fireplace, but only got stuck further. The grate was gripping onto her clothes and she scrunched up her face, this was not her week. "I think I'm stuck," she whimpered. She was too mortified to be angry that he was laughing at her. The laughter ceased and she heard silk whispering and other sounds of fabric rustling, then the distinct reverberations of footfalls. Chihiro noted that he must have been trying to make more noise than he usually did, so as not to alarm her. She felt him come closer, her body thrumming like a livewire.

"Put out your hand," he said gently. She did as he said, and her palm struck brick. He scoffed, "your other hand."

"Well, what do you expect, I can't see a thing," she bristled.

Placing a warm hand on Chihiro's shoulder, he brushed his fingers down her arm until he reached her wrist. "I'm here," he said simply. The tiny hairs on her skin shot up at his touch, and her fingers fumbled against his, tightening her grip. He started to pull and she heard a tearing sound.

Panicked, she yanked him back, "wait! I told you I'm stuck!" She heard Haku mutter something under his breath and felt a wind whip around her, releasing the grate's iron hold. Haku pulled again, but she wasn't prepared for his strength and flew up out of the hearth and landed hard against him. Her ankle wrapped behind his leg and she felt them go down. As they landed in a tangle of limbs against the hard floor, the black curtains shot up, back to their hiding places and Chihiro was blinded by the abrupt light. "Ahh," she cried and buried her face into Haku's neck.

"Well, I hope we weren't interrupting something," a grandmotherly voice said icily from the patio doorway. As one, Chihiro and Haku turned sightless eyes to the intruder in shock.

**Author's Note:**

At first I had written this, in which Haku corners Chihiro and plays a game of cat & mouse; but Haku isn't all that playful in the movie so I decided to go in a different direction, to stay true to the characters. That is partially why it took me so long to upload today. The other part was that I had written a different intro, one in which we visited the investigation in the human world and saw what Chihiro's parents were going through; but I felt like it was too heavy. Plus I know you guys really just wanted to see how this part played out. So, here you go. Any guesses as to who the intruder could be?

Also if you are curious to read my other, very different, version of the showdown in the dark; tell me in a review and I might upload it as an outtake in a separate story form.

As always thank you for reading, for reviewing, and for all the PM's I've received lately. I honestly love you guys!

Take care,

Boots


	15. Chapter 14, Unravelling

Disclaimer: All spirited away rights and responsibilities belong to Hayao Miazaki.

_Warning: Excessive cursing up ahead, skip over first bit if it offends._

* * *

**Unravelling**

Crestfallen shoulders, under-eye circles and a permanent pout were the most notable features on Arata Sarutobi. He drove to the court house to talk to his stupid lawyer for the second time that week. Arata hadn't wanted one but his parents insisted that he get one before he met with the police again. He begrudgingly agreed. All the cards were stacked against him, and he had no way to prove his innocence. Parking his little car in the first visible spot, he walked up the cracked cement stairs to the gaudy-Grecian styled courthouse. The glass doors were tinted with a warped mirror finish, leaving him feeling like he was walking into a fun-house for the disturbed. He pushed on the door only to stop short; looking down he read PULL on the handle. Great, now he couldn't even open a door properly. Once inside he looked over the dim surroundings. His lawyer was in the west wing in room 2A. Arata took the left hallway and walked past an endless amount of doors, at any moment he expected bloody twins to swarm his vision or a wet corpse to chase after him. He looked to the right and saw the room he was looking for. A black plaque with bold gold font read, James Whicker DA. He made a face, he would forever hate the name James because of this man, but he was cheap and he was good, so hopefully he wouldn't have to meet with him much more. He knocked and waited for a response. When there wasn't one he knocked again, harder this time. The sound of chair legs scraping against tile warned him of the man's coming. The door burst open and for the second time Arata was assaulted by the overpowering smell of sandalwood and musk. In moderation it was a fine scent, but this man must bathe in it he thought, as he tried not to wrinkle his nose. James Whicker flashed an ultra-white set of perfect, straight teeth. His dirty blonde hair was slicked back and his orange spray tan made his eyes look even bluer.

"Welcome, welcome, here take a seat and let's talk business," he gestured to the over-stuffed leather chair in front of his desk and walked over to a mini-fridge set on a small table in the corner of the room, "Want a drink? I got water, sparkling of course, soda, only the kind available from Finland, and if you're feeling plucky a little vodka, whaddaya say?"

"Nothing for me thanks."

"Oh, I know that tone by now. Well Arata buddy, you just gotta chill out kay. Even if you decided to get frisky with that sexy little chit, they couldn't pin anything on you. No body, no crime." James Whicker pulled out a club soda from the fridge and sat in his high-backed desk chair spinning from side to side, measuring Arata's glare.

"I already told you, I would never lay a finger on Chihiro."

"Sure, sure you didn't. I mean hey I get it, really I do. I've seen your girl and I must say, she is one fine 'Mamasita,' but every now and again a man needs someone to dominate; to overpower and that slip of a girl has just the right amount of meat on her bones to keep you from feeling like a pervert." He paused, took a swig of his soda and burped loudly, "ya feel me?"

Arata was pissed, he resolved to never degrade women again, joking or otherwise. Just being in this pigs presence made him ashamed to be a man. "I don't have to listen to this shit." Arata stood up to leave. But James was faster.

"Sit your pansy ass down!"

"The fuck you say to me?" Arata sneered.

"You heard me. You ain't got the balls to respond like a man, then I'll treat you like a bitch. I am giving you some gold quality lessons here, so sit down and shut the fuck up or else, I'll drop your case and watch them haul your ass in jail without so much as shedding a tear. With me you're sitting pretty, without me you're a sitting duck." He had gotten so heated, his face turned red and spit flecked his lips and chin. Eyes wild and hair disheveled, he looked like the kind of man crazy enough to jump over a desk and strangle a man with his own tie. Arata silently sat back down. The effect was instantaneous, his flush faded, he straightened his suit and tie, slicked back his hair and wiped the spittle from his chin delicately with a kerchief, "Now then, how about that drink?"

* * *

Chihiro blinked furiously and squinted into the blinding light. She didn't realize how forcefully she was gripping onto Haku's shoulders until he firmly disentangled himself from her and pulled her fingers from his body. She flushed, pushing herself away from him and wrapped her arms about her knees. A woman chuckled, from the doorway; the spots of purple and green were just starting to fade from Chihiro's eyes but she couldn't make out the figure before her, only seeing a dark silhouette. "It is good to see you two still getting along so well," the woman said genially.

"Chihiro," Haku barked.

"Hmm, yes?"

Without turning to face her he stood and offered her a hand, "You should leave. Go out the way you came, there will be a finger lamp by the door, take it and find your way back to your room."

"But I…"

"Now." He commanded, turning flashing green eyes her way. Chihiro scowled, but got up and walked to the door without arguing; she looked back only when she had one foot out the room. The bath lord's stare made her gulp, and she quickly closed the door behind her. An audible click let her know that it was unquestionably locked. Not even bothering to jiggle the handle she stepped away, unnerved by the sudden change in Haku. One minute he's laughing and helping her out of a fire-place, the next he was shouting at her to leave. She was sick of this place.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

My time is cut short, but I didn't want to leave you without at least a little somethin somethin; I'll update soon. I promise!

As always thank you for reading! And a huge thanks for all of the reviews. For all of the folks interested in me continuing the outtakes, I will work on it in my extra, spare time. This is growing out of hand though lol. I had originally decided to only make like 10 chapts tops! But I can't stand to leave this unfinished.

Oh and by the way, do you prefer short daily updates between 800-3,000 words, as I do now; or would you rather I post lengthy weekly updates between 10,000-12,000 words? **Please let me know**, and I will act accordingly.

Take care,

Boots


	16. Chapter 15 Herbs

Disclaimer: All _Spirited Away_ rights and responsibilities go to Hayao Miyazaki

* * *

**Herbs**

Chihiro was angry. She was downright pissed. Granted she had trespassed, and peeped, and gotten caught; but still no one should treat to her that way. Wandering the bathhouse with a frown etched on her face, she was glad to have the finger lamp to see her surroundings, even though she couldn't recognize them. She wandered past a room where the occupant had left out a pair of shoes that just happened to be a little smaller than her size; she slipped into them, crushing the back with her heel. Finding the laundry room, she stumbled upon a pair of workers pants, and though they were too big, she tied the drawstrings around her waist twice and made a bow. There weren't any shirts she could find, and she missed her bra terribly. Chihiro hated feeling so exposed.

It wasn't until late noon that she managed to luck her way to a pair of paper doors which, when she decided to be brave and blow out the candle, happened to have a faint glow. She eagerly pushed the door out of the way, accidentally ripping it in her haste and letting in a stream of soft light. The sun! How she had missed it so. The second pair of paper doors was considerably heavier and she found a glass version just past that. It didn't matter; the smooth-worn wood had oiled hinges and slid out of the way easily enough. Inhaling deeply, she shivered happily as the cold breeze hit her skin.

* * *

Haku stared at his guest, "You're late." She scoffed and stepped into the room further, closing the door behind her to block the chill. She shrugged out of her thick cloak, and Haku stepped forward to take it.

"Still the gracious host I see," she flashed a set of big teeth, at him. "Still, I had no idea dragons had such strange fetishes," she cackled. Haku's shoulders rose defensively at the accusation. He looked down at his chest in dismay, he was covered in soot.

Rubbing at it would be useless, he lay the old woman's cloak over the back of his chair, "it wasn't what it seemed; there was nothing perverse in our actions." He glanced up at her devilish grin, and huffed, "do you have the information I requested, or not Zeniba?"

At this the woman's smile slid from her face, she seemed to age before his eyes, her happy glow fading, "The link to the human world has been broken; she cannot return the way she came, but she also cannot remain here. If she stays for too much longer…"

"Yes I know," Haku broke in, brow furrowed in worry. He looked at Zeniba hopelessly, "but then what can be done? I cannot leave here, and there is no one else I trust her with."

At this Zeniba looked fierce, "did you not sense it? The air is restless; even now malevolent fingers pry through the gates."

"What do you speak of?" Haku had no patience for riddles.

"The seals Kohaku, they've been broken."

* * *

With expert hands she painted, and buffed, bronzed, blushed, padded and combed. The art of makeup wasn't to hide the beauty beneath but to enhance; to make it appear as though she wore nothing at all. The nameless bride before her had the ghost of a smile on her lips; she had probably been wearing it all day. Chrissie withheld a sigh, as she put on the finishing touch, a tiny bit of luminizer, and the bride appeared to be lit from within. She held up the mirror, like she had done so many times before and her heart twinged within her breast. The bride gasped at her reflection and she thought of Chihiro and sweet little Mei. They had been decorated in her work when Chihiro disappeared. Was it Chrissie's fault? Had she made Chihiro appear to sexy? What if some vagrant had spotted her and stolen her away? Chrissie's eyes filled with unshed tears, and the bride mistook them for happiness. Smiling a watery smile she gladly received a kiss on the cheek in thanks and packed up her travel case. Two beauty pageant contestants and a bride; it had been a long morning.

Driving mindlessly, she wound down the familiar path to home. She wasn't looking forward to being alone, with her thoughts of guilt. Her little studio apartment seemed so empty without Mei's silly giggling. She used to come over every week for a spa day, Chrissie's mind wandered to their last one, almost three weeks ago. They had baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Mei's favourite, and watched _Troy_, drooling over the beauties that were Brad Pitt, and Eric Bana. Mei always insisted that Orlando Bloom was delicious, despite his sniveling character. The tragic love story was what caught the girls' interest. They had sat on her plush black and white polkadot couch, both reclining in an attempt to keep their avocado face masks on. If she closed her eyes she could imagine the smell of cookies, avocado and nail polish. Not exactly the most appetizing mix, but it was a smell of happiness, one that was all too quickly losing familiarity. Arata had come early that day to pick up Mei and had walked in on the girls blubbering as the movie reached its final moments. They had pulled him down to the couch to watch with them and he laughed and pretended to be angry when their faces stained the shoulders of his white t-shirt a soft green. Thinking of Arata made a sick twist in her gut. She hadn't spoken to him since leaving the police station, it was too hard. But being apart was even harder. They were her family after all. Mei was like a little sister to Arata, and had in turn become one to Chrissie; and Arata, well he was her everything. That's why when she pulled up to her regular space and saw a familiar car parked beside it her heart thumped in her throat. Walking up the stairs and down the hall, she wasn't sure what she was expecting first: accusations, apologies, tears, or curses. Instead when she got to her door, he was there, holding a sprig of rosemary. Her lip quivered at the memory.

When they had first met she had told him how much she hated florist flower bouquets; they were rather useless, died quickly, and rarely smelled of anything. After their first date he had sent a potted plant to her work. The girls had laughed, saying it was the ugliest date gift they had ever seen, but Chrissie took the rosemary as a sign that he had actually listened to her. That was the first time she had ever felt 'butterflies' in her stomach. Just now that feeling returned. His eyes met hers and she felt like she could breathe again. Reaching out a shaking hand for the rosemary, he misunderstood the gesture. Instead he took her hand in his, and gently pulled her to him. Their bodies took on an accustomed dance, and his tender kiss opened the floodgates to her heart as she finally allowed herself to cry.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I want to apologize for my absence. I got very sick with a flu, and honestly I just stayed in bed for a couple of days; no writing, reading, or anything whatsoever. So I apologize if this chapter seems somewhat disjointed. I am feeling better now, and will hopefully get back into the swing of things soon.

As always thank you for reading. Thank you for the lovely reviews, you are what keeps this story going.

Take care,

Boots


	17. Chapter 16, Abomination

Disclaim: Hayao Miyazaki owns all rights and responsibilities to Spirited Away.

* * *

**Abomination**

Sighing heavily, Haku wondered why his Fate-maker was so fickle. She went against his express wishes without fail. He hadn't wanted to resort to this; but if she remained in the dark, her life would be in all the more danger. After taking what little advice Zeniba could give,and accepting some special wares that she said would be necessary for the journey. He watched her leave in a whirl of her cloak; her final words bade that he get her granddaughter home safely. Holding back a snort, he bowed at her departing form and when the doors had been closed once more, he raised a weary hand to his eyes; scrubbing his face. So much for sleep. It was then that he caught sight of his reflection. Face dusted black; he looked down at his ash covered hands and chuckled. Shadow prints left traces over his shoulders and biceps; an imprint of her face distorted along his throat and collar bone as he stretched his neck for a better view. He briefly allowed himself a smile, at the memory of her cinder encased body storming out of his room. Blackened feet showed her exit path and he pressed his own against them, copying her movements fleetingly; the smile disappeared as he reached the door. If they were to leave by nightfall, preparations had to be made.

* * *

Lips of blue, braced chattering teeth; wind whipped hair about fretfully. Chihiro ignored the lash like tresses, as they stung against her skin, listening only to the drumming of her heart. There was a bridge, it was always a bridge, a remnant of a long forgotten dream. Stepping ever closer, almost afraid to cross from the dust kissed stone, to the wooden planks. Looking at that connection, the link from the bathhouse to the rest of the world a thousand whispers, phantom voices long past, sped through her mind. Flowing from her brain, to her scalp, down the tendrils of hair, where they licked at her ears before being gobbled up by the greedy airstream. _'It's almost night…hold your breath…I'll distract them…you've done very well…Go! Go now!'_ Pressing purple fingers, too cold to feel anything, against the railing she saw something in her mind's eye. A boy, with very cleanly cropped hair, a beautiful boy blowing bubbles. No, that wasn't right; he didn't have a bubble wand. Chihiro's head hurt. The mixture of sunlight, cold, and lack of sleep must be making her delirious, she reasoned. Alone on the bridge, no one else in sight; she took a couple steps, and stopped midway. She wanted to venture further but something held her back. Behind the bridge she was safe. As insufferable as the stupidly handsome bath lord was, no harm had come to her under his watch.

No physical harm, she chided grumpily. Her ego was a different matter entirely. She looked down at her ashen covered self and blushed, glad he couldn't see her now. Her body betrayed her, sporting twin testaments to just how cold she really was. Hunching her shoulders, she attempted to hide herself within the halter top, and glimpsed just how high up she was over the bridge. Out of curiosity, Chihiro stepped against the railing. Looking over, she could barely make out a long black line running in the cavernous space below. Was it a thin river? Readjusting her stance, she stooped to her knees, and poked her head between the railings straining to get a better view. With a craned neck, she lightly pressed her weight against the wood; careful not to fully trust its hold. It was then that she fully grasped what was vying for her attention, as her gaze focused on a pair of sick, mustard yellow eyes. They peered back at her; eyes with slitted pupils, emptiness for lids and nothing else. No wait, it had a mouth; one that opened to reveal rows, upon rows of pointed teeth. Chills raked at Chihiro's spine, and this time it wasn't from the cold.

Briskly ,she remembered screaming at the television as a child, a large metal shark with similar teeth taking up the screen; it was from a movie she used to love, in which a boy traversed the oceans using seagulls and a giant fuzzy fruit. The thing before her seemed to shimmer, not entirely corporeal, but that didn't stop the fear from welling up inside her. She made to pull away when the eyes narrowed; a grating sound escaped its razored mouth. Filled with disgust, Chihiro realized it was laughing. Face contorting into a grimace, she was made painfully aware of just how foolish she had been to leave the bathhouse; It's inhabitants were all fast asleep and it's master believed her to be safe in her bed. Heart beating wildly she was about to rise when the thing spoke. "I see what resides in your heart child," the disembodied features rasped. Its speech resembled sandpaper on rocks, but the words wound through Chihiro's mind as though made of honey: syrupy, sweet, stickily addicting. "I can lead you home child, you need only speak your name." His voice was perfume, gold, music, food to her ears.

"My name?" Chihiro's own voice disgusted her. She didn't want to mar the beauty of the moment with her inelegant tongue. She looked into those lovely eyes, hypnotized by their exotic gaze; the welcoming, generous smile was encouraging in its largeness.

"Yes child, speak your name and lend me your body, for a while. I know the way, I'll take you there." With each word, he grew more beautiful, more truthful, just more.

How sweet, Chihiro thought. That stupid, ugly Haku had made no such offers. She wanted to so desperately to go home. Her brain felt slow though; so like a child she could only repeat, "You can take me home?"

"My love, I can take you anywhere. I will bring you to the moon in you so wish." The lipless mouth cooed. How thoughtful. "Let's make a deal; a name and a body, such a small insignificant price to pay, to see your loved ones again." The eyes glittered, filled with promise and warmth. She stared into them transfixed; never noticing the splintering and groaning of the timber balustrade as she leaned ever closer to the beautiful thing before her. He was so exquisite, he loved her. She wanted him, their bodies could be together always; Chihiro wanted nothing more than to feed him her heart and soul. He looked so very lonely and cold, stuck out here without a body, it was only right to give him hers. "Come away with me my love, be mine; just two little words and we will be together always."

Blue lips parted, name on her tongue. She wanted to make him happy, she lived only to please him, to be with him; she was his afterall.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

First off, I am sorry, but I don't think daily updates will be available anymore. I have less than a month to finish packing, and say goodbye to everyone I love, but am not yet ready to leave. I do promise to update whenever I can; I will gladly lose sleep for you, my dear lovely readers.

Wow over 50 reviews! Can I just say best reader's ever! Lol, you all made me feel so much better, so thank you.

As always thank you for reading. Please review, I do sincerely love to hear from you. I am currently typing up a bit more to Checkers, so for those of you who are waiting for that, it is coming. Slowly, but surely.

Take care,

Boots

(p.s. If you want to get into my mindset while I'm writing, I have many artists I listen to on Pandora; sometimes one at a time and sometimes in a combined playlist: **Greg Laswell, Joshua Radin, Priscilla Ahn, Keane, Radical Face, Regina Spektor, The Shins, Lily Allen** and whomever else pops up based on these searches, I love them all, but these are the only one's I actually search for, for this fic.)


	18. Chapter 17, Addiction

Disclaimer: Hayao Miyazaki owns all rights and responsibilities to Spirited Away.

* * *

**Addiction**

Pressing thick-knuckled fingers to thin-pursed lips, Detective Cho inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes, and slapped a nicotine patch on his arm, yeah and quitting was supposed to help him focus. He had been pouring over paperwork, needling over the smallest details for the past 8 hours; finding nothing, and all the while wishing for a damn cigarette. He didn't even need to light the thing; just hold it between his teeth, and breathe in the flavor over his tongue. Taking a deep breath his gaze caught on the smiling faces of his family. It was an old picture. One in which his daughter had just graduated with a bachelor's degree, and his son had graduated high school; both were in their caps and gowns and he and his wife were puffed up, proud as peacocks, beside them. He had quit for them, and he would keep it that way. Hissing out a breath, he again couldn't shake the resemblance between the Ogino kid and his own daughter. Both girls had those unusual grey-brown eyes, light brown hair, and a soft roundness to their faces that would scream innocence no matter how much they aged. It had been a long day; the parents had come in to stress him over his efforts all over again. The large portly father red and angry as spittle flecked his chin, the mother sobbing behind him clinging to his arm. He couldn't blame them; their daughter had disappeared without a trace. After warrants, searches, imitation dui stops, tons of calls from people who supposedly saw the missing girl, and too many dead-end leads to fit in a filing cabinet; he was starting to lose hope. But like his craving to nicotine, he wasn't ready to give up on the girl just yet either.

* * *

Tiny daggers bit into flesh and Chihiro was so startled she couldn't even scream. Her body jerked, and she jolted away from the offending pain, trying to wrench herself from its grasp.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

More is coming (hopefully before the end of today); I'm admittedly having a lot of difficulty reading my own handwriting, which means I'm having to rewrite everything before I can even be bothered to type it. It's quite a hindrance. Just know that i am working on it!

A hugely big thank you to Kitti420, NarutoSwag99, Abcdefg824, Loveghibli, LeeshyLoo, Tenten-Kunai, WolfishMoon, Abcdefg824, Carly, Darkangl28, and last but most certainly not least, safrina sacci. I want to let you know that in keeping my promise I haven't slept yet lol, as I try to bring you continuous (though probably crappy) updates! Anyway, I adore you all for your reviews, your comments, your likes/dislikes and for encouraging me to continue.

As always thanks for reading and I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots

(P. friggen S. JUST a heads up. DO NOT SMOKE! I am not in anyway endorsing smoking, or nicotine patches! Det. Cho is a fictional character; he doesn't have to deal with cancer, emphysema, premature aging and all that other shit.)


	19. Chapter 18, Abandon

Disclaimer: I do not own any piece of the beloved Spirited Away, all rights and responsibilities go to Hayao Miyazaki.

* * *

**Abandon**

A flurry of grey and black; yowls and shrieks in equal measure. The eyes and mouth shrank trying to escape. It wasn't fast enough. A claw dragged through the right eye with a sickening pop just as the thing disappeared. Chihiro watched on horrified as her savior panted and hissed. She felt sick; both with the encounter and the unbearable cold. Lifting a hand she tremulously stroked the puckered incisions on her shoulder blade, wincing at the warmth there. They weren't large or deep, but they stung viciously. With an arm still wrapped around her neck, she finally registered just who had saved her. A fluffy cat with raccoon colorings stood guard before her, back arched and fur prickled like a porcupine, as he growled into the space where the phantom eyes had been.

* * *

With a final swipe of a great black paw, the cat's ears perked up from their flattened position against his skull and he began to wash. Disdain and disgust for the vile creature as he coughed up hairballs containing whatever fur the thing had touched. An intake of breath caused his ears to swivel in his human's direction but he continued to bathe with feigned ignorance. Alerted by the scrabbling of fingers over wood, he tensed as she drew nearer; not to run or dash away, but just to brace against the upcoming chest crush. "Meeko!" she cried in his ear as thin arms raveled their way around his plump midsection, and he mewed grumpily when she squeezed the air from his lungs. He couldn't hide his pleasure as his chest thrummed with purrs. Her arms were home; icy fingers rubbed his chin and he leaned into the touch fleetingly before voicing his irritation with the cold. Despite his desire to melt against her, he knew she must get inside. Paws gripped her, and he pulled himself out of the embrace, mindful of his claws and he leaped to the floor. Turning to face her, he blinked once slowly. "Meeko?"

"Reow," pointing his head in the direction of the structure behind him, he stepped minutely away from her; tail twitching impatiently. When she didn't move, he sighed a growl and padded to her side to nudge her elbow with his head. Just before she could pet him however, he moved; an arm's length away, just out of reach. With a huff Chihiro crawled forward to stroke him and he allowed one touch before moving further towards the building. Her fur above her eyes pulled down and she stood way up high before stretching towards him. Again he stepped towards the doors.

"Okay, I can take a hint," she chuckled. The cat stared her down before meowing condescendingly. It had taken her long enough, he groused. With shaky steps the pair made their way back to the enclosed safety and warmth of the bathhouse, the earlier encounter already much forgotten.

* * *

"One of these days, I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to get those damn jewels he loves so much, and shove em in places the sun doesn't dare shine!" she growled quietly; he still heard. Rin glared at the bath lord, who was oddly enough, disheveled. She didn't comment on his lack clothing, or the fact that he looked like he had been rolling around with Kamaji's soot balls; she was far too pissed to have been awoken by him at midday for the fifth time that week. Only this time it wasn't just her, he had roused many other maids and even the kitchen staff. Barking orders, he clicked his fingers, and anyone who had been unlucky enough to wake up already were thrown off of their bedrolls, as the bedding folded itself neatly and flew into the cupboards. The bath ladies screamed delicately, trying to appear demure and modest for their handsome bathlord. With his nose scrunched at the side he scowled as he directed them to do his bidding, and called Rin to follow. Rin huffed, not bothering to put on a proper shirt, as she stomped behind Haku. "You called?"

Handing Rin a stack of papers that she didn't realize he carried, he gruffly stated, "You're in charge." Dumbfounded, she rushed to keep up, trying to not drop the mass, as they fluttered against her chest.

"What? No, I couldn't…"

"Delegate how you wish, ask Kamaji for help; hell even bring Yubaba back if you so choose."

"Why all of a sudden?" Face falling something clicked, "you're leaving."

"There isn't time to explain; but yes, I must take Chihiro beyond the sea if there is to be any hope of her returning to the land of the living."

"Beyond the sea? But you can't seriously mean to…" her words faltered when the dragon looked at her sharply. "As you wish," she bowed. Rin knew when to bite her toungue and now, was evidently one of those exact moments. Raising her eyes, she watched as Haku pulled aside the managers, and a chef. Never having prayed before, she didn't know how; she wished she did.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Blah, I typed this twice! Once I was fiddling with my laptop, when suddenly popped the battery out and lost everything; so I took a day off out of spite for the stupid thing. It was actually my fault; sorry laptop. Anyway, someone commented that they thought the monster was No-Face. Sorry, but you are wrong! I adore No-Face and he will be making an appearance, but not just yet; all things in time loves. Also the bath house bit has lasted far longer than I meant it to so just a heads up expect a time skip, not next chapter, but right after that.

As always thanks for reading! I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots


	20. Chapter 19, Roots

Disclaimer: All Spirited Away characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Roots**

Cracked china sat in the cupboard hoping for a chance to bite a lip, or slit a tongue. Splinters littered the floor waiting for unsuspecting feet. Bolts and screws came loose in chairs and beds eager to drop unwary bodies. Not for the first time did Yubaba curse her temper. She had been a fool. Breaking the seals did not make her immune; if anything, her punishment was worse than any others. The sun was peering through her clawed curtains and she growled. For all her magic, she could not block out the mischievous beings. She sighed as she hauled herself to her feet. Her bed had been abandoned in favor of floor pillows. The bedframe and mattress could not be trusted. Slipping into a ripped silk robe, that had once been in pristine condition but now was ragged and pill covered, she decided to get a drink. Surely they had the decency to not ruin her water right? Not ten steps out of her bedroom and she heard loud gasps of fabric. Whirling around she ran for the door only to find it locked. Fury caused smoke to billow from her ears and nose. She yelled in consternation and fought with all her might and magic to gain access to her room. After many evil titters the door opened of its own accord and she landed on the floor in what appeared to be a snowstorm. Shock reigned in her anger. The snow wasn't cold; cautiously she put out a hand. A tickle of white floated gently into her upturned palm: feathers. Sitting in the whirls of down, she realized that all of her comforters and pillows had been demolished. Clearly she would not be sleeping comfortably today.

A shrill shriek broke the silence of daytime. Ice flowed in her veins at the thought of what they could have done to Bou. The feathers had just settled in thick sheets and they swirled around her in her attempt to wade through them. Snickers, whispers, and scrabbling sounds came from all around her. Before she could reach the door it once again slammed in her face, lifting the feathers and turning her fear-driven world white.

* * *

Darkness had fallen and it seemed that the bathhouse was in a chaotic standstill. Many abnormally large ducklings and red-cloaked-paper-masked patrons waited eagerly for their turns to bathe. It appeared as though only half the staff was available. Chihiro looked on from above in surprise. Usually the bath lord kept his business running smoothly, but today he had been markedly absent. Chihiro blanched at the memory of this morning: she had seen a very naked bath lord, fallen in a fire-place and gotten thrown out without so much as an, "if you please." One good thing had come out of the whole ordeal; she was no longer alone. Rubbing Meeko's chin absently she noticed something come closer out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head to see a familiar face. If it could be called a face. The large white vegetable leaned its tuberous arms on the railing, mimicking her stance. It was too close for her to pretend it had not approached her, so she inclined her head, to acknowledge its presence and it responded in kind. Turning its beady black eyes to the grey fluff in her arms she couldn't help but follow its gaze. With a smile Chihiro held out Meeko and was surprised when her savior raised its fan and backed away. The cat hung limply in her arms like a rag doll, but the fear in the Radish's eyes was very real. The smile slid from her face and she quickly folded him back in her arms.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." Running a hand along the large tomcat's back she continued to speak, trying to soothe her one-time-hero, "this in Meeko. He's very friendly, he won't bite or scratch. I promise." The Radish had stopped moving away, but he didn't come any closer. Tentatively, Chihiro took a small step forward, measuring the vegetable with her eyes. When he didn't move she smiled encouragingly and beckoned him closer. Though she had not interacted with any of the other bathhouse residents, and the staff mostly ignored her, she had forgotten how lonely she was until her furry friend found her. Now she was happy to see a familiar face, and wanted to share at least some small semblance of friendship. Slowly, the radish lowered his fan, and took a lumbering step forward. Meeko twitched his tail; he enjoyed the way the great white creature threw its paper shield back up. "Meeko, behave yourself," Chihiro chided. He looked up at her all innocence in his big green eyes, and meowed softly, as if to say he had no idea as to what she was referring. Looking back up, she saw that the Radish had been brave. It was now beside her, and was looking at the cat with a degree of distrust. Smiling up at it, she extended her hand. After a beat the radish mirrored her movement and lightly brushed her fingers with its roots. Slowly, gently she pulled the roots to stroke against the cat. At the vibrating motion of Meeko's purring, the Radish tried again to run away, but Chihiro's hold was firm. "That's it," she enthused, "he likes you." Without taking its eyes off the cat, the Radish lightly shook off Chihiro's grasp. Surprisingly instead of taking off, he cautiously petted the cat and didn't lift away when Meeko rumbled with vigor. Chihiro watched in delight as the Radish's eyes changed shape from circles to sideways crescents and she knew it was smiling.

Just then a strong hand clamped down on her arm and all hell broke loose. In her surprise Chihiro's arm's pin wheeled, Meeko launched himself onto the Radish, and the Radish began to spin like a top in an effort to dislodge the cat. In its haste its tuberous limbs flailed, knocking Chihiro into the railing. A splintering crash resounded as the wood gave way and Chihiro fell. Fingers dug into flesh, and Chihiro turned her head to see the bath lord supporting all her weight with one hand. His green eyes flashed, and for a terrifying moment Chihiro was sure he would drop her. Then with a quirk of his lips he lifted her and plopped her down beside him, "you certainly have a habit of making a mess of things."

"Apparently, only when you're around," Chihiro bit back, a furious blush creeping into her cheeks. At that moment, Meeko extricated himself from the Radish and placed himself between Chihiro and Haku. He could sense her tension and his fur stood on end, hissing in her defense. For a second Chihiro watched in surprise as the bath lord raised an arm almost as though in fear, before composing himself. "There, there Meeko, he didn't hurt me, it's alright." Poor thing was getting a workout today; she scooped him up in her arms before addressing the bath lord. "Is there something you wanted?"

"It's time for us to leave."

"Us?"

"I'm taking you home."

* * *

They were walking along the outskirts when Haku decided it was time. Though he had tried to shield her from the truth, for her sake and the sake of the memory spell, he had agreed with Zeniba; where they were going she would need to arm herself with all of the knowledge of the Spirit World that she had. Before she could take notice of his actions, he grabbed a pinch of petals from within his sleeve and blew them out. The barrier would keep out prying eyes and ears. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the girl; she, who haunted his dreams, unknowingly held his heart, and stilled it every time she looked his way. "Chihiro." Breaking out of her personal dream bubble, she stopped, only to realize he too was stationary. For a moment her breath caught; the smell of flowers and the taste of a rice ball assaulted her senses in another of those ridiculous moments of déjà vu. It had happened each time he said her name, only this time a floating feeling accompanied the sensations. How strange. Haku noticed that she seemed to be retreating into her thoughts again, so he took a step forward, regaining her attention. "Chihiro it's time."

Why was he speaking in riddles today, "time for what?" She snapped. For a moment he didn't speak, and Chihiro was forced to squint to see his features with only the waning moonlight and the illumination of distant stars. It did not help that the moon was behind him, leaving his face in shadow. Her heart began to thud as the silence extended. So far he had stuck by his promise of not harming her, but being out here, in the dark, all alone; it can lead people to do things they otherwise would not. He looked stiff and she watched in apprehension as he took another step forward. "What's going on?" Chihiro hated that her voice chose to crack at that moment. Haku reached out and gripped a hand over her wrist. She immediately began to pull away, heart leaping into her throat.

"Stop struggling, I'm not going to hurt you," he huffed. Suddenly a light sprang forth, and she could see his face again; it was his calm expression, more than his words that stilled her. She watched in fascination as he held up a glowing palm. With a sigh, he gently lifted her wrist and she understood that he wanted her to mirror him. Fingers extended, palms outstretched; once he was satisfied, he released her and waited patiently for her to close the distance. There was but a hand-span between them; all she needed to do was stretch out her elbow.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember when I said you had been here before?" Lifting her eyes from his hand, she nodded, "You don't remember it because I couldn't let you; you were never meant to return. Now I'm going to give you your memories back."

"My memories," she echoed. Was that what caused all of the déjà vu? "Is this because I can't go home the same way I came through?"

"Yes. It will be more difficult this time, you need to be prepared." Chihiro gulped, she couldn't help it, if this imposing figure was worried, that couldn't be a good sign. Inhaling through her nose, and exhaling out her mouth, she thought of her yoga classes; they felt like they had been a lifetime ago. Steeling her resolve, she pressed her hand against his. The glow became blinding and she gasped as a rush of warmth surrounded them. Squeezing her eyes shut tight against the light, she waited with bated breath. She half expected her life to flash before her eyes, or at least a film reel with images of all the things she had supposedly experienced, something like in the movies. When the heat and the light ebbed away she opened her eyes with a look of skepticism on her face.

Brows furrowed, lips in a pout, she quipped, "Was that supposed to be a literal form of enlightenment?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm so sorry for the unexpected hiatus! Writer's Block hijacked my brain and I have no excuse for it. Although in my absence I haven't been entirely useless, I've been reading loads of fanfiction and my lord there is talent galore on here.

I did try to take a break from this in order to get bitten by the writing bug again but instead of **NSADA** inspiration I started a different fanfic starring… dun-dun-dun No-Face! It is entitled **Hand in Hand**; if you would like, please check it out. Also, expect an update for **Checkers** within a couple of days if not hours. (Depending on when you read this. Btw I love that last line, sassy Chihiro ftw!) Our journey is beginning you guys I'm so excited!

**A huge thank you to all of my lovely reviewers!** I will make amends by updating as soon ASAP from now on! **LeeshyLoo** my dear, I do believe you have commented on just about every chapter. Thank you!

As always thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots


	21. Chapter 20, Pretend

Disclaimer: All Spirited Away characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Pretend**

'I'm hallucinating, it's official. I've gone fuckin batshit. I must look like a real loco in the coco zooming around in a shopping cart right about now,' Chihiro thought miserably. At the moment, her bewitched senses were convinced that she was riding a dragon. Perfectly buffed, smoothed, recently manicured nails scraped against dazzling white scales; hard as armor, but warm to the touch. Shock and disbelief prevented her from registering much of anything else. She didn't even notice that Haku's pale, seaweed-green mane trailed through her eyes and mouth; didn't feel the chill of blood cooling as it trickled down her calves. Chihiro was gripping onto Haku's hide so tightly, she was numb to the pain of razor sharp scales abrading the flesh of her knees, and inner thighs. They were moving quickly against the black of night; the eyelash of moon, their only light source, on their backs. She didn't dare look down, wasn't brave enough to look up and could only squeeze her eyes shut tight as the wind forced errant tears from the corners of her eyes to trail into her hairline. Unsure if she was even breathing, she dug her fingers into the ridges of his horns, desperate to get ahold of reality. 'These could easily be anything!' Her frazzled brain scrambled for answers, yet continued to come up blank. Chihiro knew she was going to regret it, but she painstakingly raised her brows as high as she could pulling her lids taught. Biting into her lower lip for strength, she opened first one eye and then the other, before having to shut them again as long tresses whipped her face. It was too much. Strange moods and memories fought to eclipse her consciousness. Feeling dizzy and sick she threw her arms around his neck, holding tight. His undulating motions were swift and smooth as a river, strong as a current. In her delirium a single word escaped her parched lips, "Kohaku."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Teaser Trailer! I'm sorry, I'm not sorry! I wrote the next chapter and I finally like it! (I just have to type it up.) But the real world is kicking my ass here geez! I'll do my best to have the next upload by Monday, or the wee hours of Tuesday morning at the latest.

Anyways love ya'll. Thank you for all of your lovely reviews!

Boots

(p.s. I'd love to hear from you, your guesses are so entertaining, and they give me some cute ideas now and again. **:} **)


	22. Chapter 21, Backlash

Disclaimer: All Spirited Away characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Backlash**

The world was flat. Columbus and all of those other archaic explorers were correct all along; she had surely gone off the deep-end and now understood. The world was flat. Her mind felt fuzzy, and she felt sick; frightened by the odd sensations and tumultuous recollections roaring through her mind and body, left her feeling frayed and weak.

_A tunnel, like the one she had passed through, but it had been so much taller then. The statue had all but looked her in the eyes. Shadows sprang from oblivion, eager to join the surrounding darkness, and fear, so much fear._

Mildly aware that her neck was craned at an odd angle, and that it would be painful to move, she began to regain consciousness of her body. Arms and legs throbbed dully; she was still holding the huge coiled body, her knees ached from their endless grip. The skin along the corners of her eyes and her upper lip was tight; the constant wind must have made her eyes and nose run. Throat and lips were dry and thirsting; tongue darted out in an attempt to assuage the chapped flesh and the disgusting flavor of bodily brine assaulted her senses. Her body jerked upright and she nearly threw poor Meeko from his perch at her back. Bile coursed its way up her esophagus. She needed to get down; left without words she pounded against the dragon's scale-hidden ribs all the while screaming intelligibly through her nose. A large, reptilian head swiveled on a long neck to regard the sudden interruption. Hand pressed over her mouth she pointed down. He didn't understand until her body began to roll with unbidden heaves. It became a race, how fast could they descend before her body won out. He charged towards the murky ground below.

* * *

She barely had enough time to roll off the dragons' back before retching up last night's dinner into the mud-grown cattails. Chihiro upended the contents of her stomach. It burned. The acid trailed up her throat and out any vocal orifice readily available; through mouth, and nostrils. Her eyes streamed and her ears rang unmercifully. After all that was left was dry heaving, she became aware of a presence behind her and a warm hand hooked her elbow, helping her up out of the sick-spewed sludge. Tremors wracked her body and he led her to a small, shallow pool where she gratefully dunked her head in, in an attempt to rid herself of the smell. Gargling pond water, she rinsed out her mouth, and scrubbed her face with her drenched sleeves and collar. She knew he was there, but was still marginally surprised when Haku's hands enveloped her shoulders, and he crouched down beside her. He gently tucked streaming wet hair behind her ears before using his own sleeve to dry her eyes; his face was marked with concern. "Are you better now?" Haku's voice was soft, warm. He had never approached her like this before, and that now unwelcome, but familiar feeling returned.

_She was sitting in the grass, a bead popped into her mouth. A voice, his voice; the same cadence, but the timber not so low, a child's voice echoed in the far reaches of her mind, "There you go, you're all better. See for yourself."_

Hands clasped, and she felt herself rising in two places at once. She was split, her mind in the past, her body here and now. All at once she lurched forward, only to be caught with strong hands as she disgorged all of the water her throat had just greedily accepted, it turned to vitriol in her mouth. Fighting the urge to cry or go limp in his arms, she pushed him away, stumbling in the ankle-deep muck. "What did you do to me?" Eyes wild, expression pained, he watched her shrink into herself as she pulled further and further way.

"Chihiro, I didn't…"

"You did!" she screeched. "My head feels like it's a cracked egg! The yolk is all scrambled and I can't piece it back together no matter how many horses or men the king lends me!"

Haku was thoroughly lost. What did kings, eggs and horses have to do with anything? "Chihiro you need to calm down, there is no need to be upset." He lifted his hands in a placating manner, attempting to calm her, but to her, he only raised his defenses.

"No reason to be upset," she sputtered. Her pain and confusion surged into outrage. "Don't patronize me; you're a Dragon! You didn't even ask, 'hey are you ok with me shifting into a 50 foot reptile and launching us into the air?' No! You just took off and I had to hold on for dear life." She paused for breath, and Haku was only slightly glad to see the color return to her pallid cheeks. Turning on him, she glared in his direction, and after moment he realized she wanted a remark. At the parting if his lips however, she broke eye contact and continued her tirade, "And now we're in a swamp. Well pardon me for noticing, but this doesn't much look like home."

"We are a long way yet." He commented. Large grey brown eyes lifted to asses him. Features under calm control, he met her gaze dispassionately; he could understand how she could be angry, the spell had not worked. She still didn't know her connection to the spirit world and she was frustrated. She had every right to be. "I keep my promises Chihiro." He said by way of comfort. With a sigh she turned away, but he watched her do an odd disgruntled expression; rolling her pupils in a circle, flashing the whites of her eyes. It was, to say the least, disconcerting.

* * *

Hand extended to the right, she deftly turned the bike; avoiding contact with the curb and continuing up the small hill. The hairs on the nape of her neck prickled as she passed the two story house with the mint green shutters. She couldn't look, it would make her lose her cool like last time, and then she'd never finish what she started. The Ogino house stood silent; a sentinel of her parent's mourning. Cobwebs laced the glass, drapes were drawn, the green-lawn-turned-gold was dying, and even the cat no longer graced the porch steps. The worst part was the sidewalk. A post sign held a laminate picture of her, slightly distorted from the wind; the cracked cement was littered with candles, crosses, flowers, flags, post cards, letters, and threadbare-soggy-teddy bears. Carefully skirting the well-meant mess, she continued up the block. The numbers on the mailboxes were steadily going backwards, and with each passing house her heart pounded a deafening drumbeat in her ears. Her feet matched the rhythm; pushing down the pedals of her pastel-pink beach cruiser jerkily, making her fight to stay balanced on the bike. At the white lamppost she stopped; she approached its neighbor, the mailbox, a blackened imprint of the missing metal "7," attested to its age. She patted it gently, curving a thumb over the 7's silhouette for luck; it was a ritual of sorts. She hadn't done it that day.

Face falling, she turned away and carried her bike up the little stone walkway. Blonde bangs that had grown too long continued to fall in her eyes, making maneuvering over the stone circles just a bit more difficult than usual. She could have just walked over the dirt too, but she preferred to hop from stone to stone. It was one of the unspoken rules. The pale blue, mint-toothpaste, colored house was tall and thin, just like him. It was clean and tidy, the windows streak free and the white blinds drawn, forming long rectangular teeth. The porch steps were immaculate, only a small black mat sat before the doorway. A cool breeze pulled at her hair and she heard an unfamiliar tinkling. Looking up to the rafters she spotted a little silver wind chime, a glass apple its only adornment. Somehow that was the last push she needed. A chipped, green-sparkle nail polish covered finger escaped the warmth of her sweater and pressed against the worn doorbell. It didn't take long for the door to swing inward. A rush of warm air greeted the small visitor.

"Heya Squirt." Arata said with a sheepish smile from the doorway.

"Mei?" Chrissie exclaimed from the hallway.

"We've missed you." They said together. As a unit they wrapped an arm around each other, extending their free ones her way. For once, she didn't feel a need for tears. She threw herself into their arms, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.

* * *

Haku explained that they weren't exactly on course, thanks to her sudden weak stomach, but they weren't lost either. Of course. Typical. Men were never lost afterall. After he first explosion however, she felt rather embarrassed. She hadn't meant to get that angry, but she didn't know what was happening. Chihiro thought about confiding in him, but she didn't really know him, even if he said he knew her. He said that they had landed close by a friend, and that it would be wise to visit, and clean up until she felt ready to travel again. She hadn't agreed, but she didn't voice her disagreement either, so she followed him. Haku offered to fly them, but Chihiro quickly declined. Her limbs were killing her, covered in little scabs; she didn't dare take a peek, for fear that they were worse than she thought. The thick clothing they had provided her with chaffed terribly, but it was better than having her legs wrapped around him again. Instead now they were going by foot. Carrying their sandals in hand, she had tied the drawstrings at the bottom of her pants up around her knees to keep the hem clean, but Haku didn't, he didn't seem to care. Meeko balanced on her shoulder, furious with the pair of them for landing in such an unsuitable place.

It was still night out, the moon had shifted in the sky, so they must have only been gone for a few hours. Still, she could see everything perfectly. The swamp exuded a light all its own, but it took her a little while to notice because of how distracting the cold, sticky mud was. It created a sucking sound with each step, swallowing up toes eagerly, and reluctantly giving them back. At first she was thoroughly annoyed, but as she became accustomed to the sink and pull of the muck, she noticed other, nicer attributes. Long marsh grasses tickled her hands, reeds sang gentle lullaby's in time with crickets, and marsh moss and vines blocked the cold. The trees here still held their leaves, and they giggled in rustled whispers with each tickle of wind. It wasn't long before they came to a set of train tracks and a rusted, algae covered clock hanging from a pole. "This way," Haku called.

"No, I think I'll, find my own way, thanks," she grumbled. He turned confused, but when he saw her looking down, wiping her feet and ankles against the grass before moving to the tack benched stone, he realized that she wasn't serious. Stepping back into her sandals, now that they would be safe from the swamp, she looked up. "Well?" She made a shooing motion with her fingers before disentangled the heavy grey tomcat from her shoulder. He yowled pathetically, but she dropped him onto the stone floor at her feet all the same. He had fallen into a pond at their initial landing, and though he was no longer dripping, he continued to shake out his paws with each step. His tail twitched dramatically, and he took to the front of the group, dashing down a dirt path that Chihiro hadn't noticed before. "Meeko, Meeko wait," she turned to Haku and gave an exasperated sigh, puffing out her cheeks, "Hold on, I'll be right back."

"But that's…"

"Right back!" she called over her shoulder. The packed dirt was more of a road. There were small lakes on either side without any of the trees blocking the moon's path now. Its small curved disk, shone brightly overhead, reflecting on the water below. Walking along she called out for Meeko, making clicking noises and snapping her fingers gently. He usually came quickly to such demonstrations; they always promised chin scratches and warm arms. She saw a rock in her path, and it looked so strangely familiar that she had to slap a hand over her eyes. A headache came with the strange onslaught of visions.

_A lamp wearing a glove, came hopping to meet them, after a polite bow, it led the way. The mouse's small weight was a comfort, and the birds tiny wings tickled her ear gently. He made up the rear, silent as always._

Scrunching up her face at the nauseated gurgle in her stomach, she slumped to her knees. Panting, she crawled to the edge of the path, cupped some water into her palm and splashed it onto her face and neck. Once the feeling passed, she shook herself gently. Haku would probably get annoyed if she was gone to long, maybe if she asked nicely he would help look for Meeko. Rising to her feet, she dusted off her palms and her knees out of habit. Looking up, she gasped, hand flying to her heart. Before her rose a softened figure of black, it seemed to melt into form from the surroundings; it was more or less a physical representation of a shadow, save for its porcelain mask.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hmm, wherever could they be? Did the memory spell really fail? Poor Meeko, like his namesake, he isn't fond of getting wet.

Sorry it's taken so long, but, I promise to make it up to you. Expect the next couple of updates to be about this length or shorter, but more frequent. Hopefully once all of this moving business is finished, and I get a proper internet connection in my new place, then updates will become more regular, if not back to my initial everyday routine.

Thank you to all of the reviewers, especially my last batch **LeeshyLoo**,** LiliesOnPluto**,** NarutoSwag99**,** Abcdefg824**,** dominiquesb4**, and last but most certainly not least** Amaterasudaemon**!

_You warm my heart, when I am blue,_

_and when I write, it is for you._

And to all of my new readers, "Welcome! I already love you!"

Dear **Abcdefg824** Happy Birthday! (Why don't you have an account you silly goose? I can't send you proper messages this way.) And I can't give up my teasers! I love them too much; if it was up to me this whole thing would be teasers, but then that wouldn't make a very good story, and we'd be so caught up in plot holes we'd never get anywhere.

As always, thank you for reading, I hope to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots

(p.s. I'm experimenting with the flashbacks, do you prefer them in italics and by themselves, or in the body of the paragraph, without any special structure? Please let me know!)


	23. Chapter 22, Ensnared

Disclaimer: All Spirited Away characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Ensnared**

"Wake Up."

"Hmnn? 5 more minutes," she mumbled groggily. She batted away the offending hand from her cheek and rolled over, half of her face eclipsed by the pillow.

"You need to get up. You're already late for work."

That did it. "What?!" She bolted upright, flinging her turtle pillow pet out of her arms to the foot of the bed, and pulling herself out of her makeshift blanket-cocoon. "Why didn't you say so earlier? The boss is gonna kill me!" her only response was the click of the lock as her mother closed the door behind her, her shadow trailed below the door, slippers making soft shushing sounds as she walked. She was a shuffler, her mother. Darting her eyes to the sunflower clock blooming above the closet, she screeched, and dashed off to the bathroom. No time, no time! Usually her showers were long drawn out affairs in which she would exfoliate, shampoo, condition, and wash and then deep condition while she shaved her legs. All this was accomplished to the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé. Not today. Today her hair was screwed up into a hasty topknot, her body got 2 minutes to lather and a hose down, and after toweling off she afforded herself the small luxury of a couple spritzes of dry shampoo and a comb. Her dental routine however, couldn't be rushed: floss, gargle, spit. Brush, gargle, spit. Scrape-tongue, gargle, spit, then one final rinse and she was pulling on her top and shimmying into her slacks. Her Aztec print socks were hardly uniform friendly, but she hoped no one would notice. Tucking in and buttoning up her shirt, she fastened her belt, all while roving her eyes over her bedroom in search of that damned tie. Why had she only bought one? Spotting a small triangle of shiny, black cloth dangling over the computer monitor, she snatched it up and looped it over her head before tightening it jerkily. Flying down the stairs, two steps at a time, she popped into the kitchen long enough to nab the toast that always managed to appear on the table when she ran late, kissed her mom on the cheek, snagged her keys from the piano, and ran out the door.

* * *

Haku didn't know why he was still standing here beneath the clock. They were headed in the same direction afterall. But he didn't want her to think he didn't listen to her; then again, he didn't take orders for anyone, what did he care? Shifting from foot to foot, he began to get agitated. Surely a feline that small couldn't have gone far; decision made, he took the path to follow her.

* * *

Of all days to be stuck behind the slowest, big-rig driver in the world, it had to be on a day when she was already running 20 minutes late for work. Staring hatefully at the mustached radish painted on the back, her mind sent a stream of curses and her palm itched to pound the horn. It probably wouldn't make him move any faster, and then she'd just be passing on her road rage. So she sat and stewed, and resorted to her one vice that always made her feel better in such situations: bad words. Inventive phrases that would make a sailor blush poured from her lips. She'd never admit it, but she was too chicken to pass up the radish truck. There was plenty of space, no cars were headed their way, the line was broken so it was perfectly legal; there wasn't even the worry of being cut off, because there were no side streets on this road, but still she stayed. And she fumed. The digital clock on her dash screamed her tardiness and she wished for the hundredth time that day that her alarm clock didn't have a snooze button. Growling, she punched the little knob for the radio with her fingers and a mechanical whirr prevailed the music, as her antenna rose from its resting place. Some loud past-summer smash hit blared through her speakers and she quickly sped through stations, looking for anything that wasn't a commercial. Settling on a local station that played past and present favourites, Cher's, unmistakable "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" paraded its catchy-mournful trek. She had always liked this song. As she bobbed her head, mouthing along to the lyrics, she noticed something. "I thought that that was a radish truck?" The radish was no longer smiled down at her; instead the truck appeared to be imprinted with a decoration of scales. A long mint-green stripe ran down its center. She must have been imagining things, running late frazzled your brain.

"…he would always win the fight. Bang Bang!" She didn't hear the next words. The slow going truck did the impossible, it sped up as they went down the hill, just as the tires blew; all at the same time. She watched on in horrified transfixion as the rims bent and were crushed beneath the extensive weight, sparks flying in a vicious cacophony of screeches and squeals. Some deep rooted instinct for survival forced her body into motion. Turning her wheel sharply, in an attempt to stop the unavoidable impact she slammed the breaks. Inertia refused to let her stop, and her front bumper collided with the metal barrier on the side of the road, the force melding the two in a crushing kiss of silver and rust. The airbag deployed just as her brow connected with the wheel; hurtling back into the seat, she didn't feel whether or not the back on her car made a connection with the truck. Ears rang, heart pounded, blood dripped. In her agitation, she had been leaning to far forward to allow the seatbelt to do its job properly. In a state of vertigo she tested fingers and toes, hands and feet, wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips. Fear stopped her from moving her spine more than a millimeter at a time, then she moved her neck, vertebrae by vertebrae. Pained, but functional. She anchored her eyes on the glowing clock on the dashboard, waiting for the numbers to solidify and possess some aspect of meaning. Something tasted bitter, slimy and metallic. A stupid desire to keep her car clean caused her to find the strength to unbuckle her seatbelt before swinging out of the car, clinging to the door handle for support. She lost her grip, her upper body collapsed to the ground, her feet still inside the car. Spiting up a grotesque mix of mucous, blood and saliva, stones bit at her palms and forearms. This angle made it difficult to breathe, chest forced to the floor, stomach resting on air, and her shins pressed painfully against the foothold of her car. Her spine was curved into an unforgiving backwards C-shape, and she had to get away. Dragging herself forward, one leg fell and then the other; managing to raise herself onto her hands and knees she was hit by another wave of dizziness. Slowly lowering herself back down, she rolled onto her back, watching the sky darken from indigo to onyx. She had missed the sunset. Stars lit their candles, twinkling merrily in the cosmos, oblivious of her and the mess of automobiles.

* * *

In the distance, Haku saw a black figure hunched over something. An odor of death and decay filled the air.

* * *

She heard a car door slam, then the slap of footsteps on pavement that changed to crunches on gravel. Turning to face her visitor she spotted a man. A strange man. Skin pale as the moon, hair black as ink. He was garbed in black robes that made his approaching figure indiscernible. His features came into view and the tattoos drew her attention first. Long cobalt triangles trailed like arrow points down his cheeks. Their bases sat directly beneath his eyes, pointed tips stopped at the height of his mouth. He smiled, piteously, scathingly. "Let me help you. What's your name?" She watched him stretch his fingers her way; invisible threads tugged her hand in accordance. The small blue triangle tattoos that hovered above his brows, raised almost excitedly for the briefest instant, before smoothing out into a mask of serenity. It was then that she noticed his eyes, or rather his eye, one glowed a sickly gold, and the other looked to be a gaping hole. His mouth spread, revealing many sharp pointed teeth. "My poor love, give me your hand, I'll make it all go away. She closed her eyes, marionette fingers, reaching for his touch.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I do hope this was thoroughly confusing, with the slightest bit of an Aha! moment at the end. If not, then I suggest you retrace your steps to, oh I don't know, maybe chapter 16. Anyway I meant to publish this earlier today, but I was helping a friend set up her reception hall today. Tomorrow I'm going to be in her weddin! I'm so excited! Anyway back to the story, thanks for all of your feedback! Italics sure are popular. If all goes well and I'm not too busy bawling with happiness expect an update Sunday night or Monday morning.

_For those of you who have started school, you rock! Keep it up! You can do it! _Ciao loves, go do your homework, I'll wait to you're finished. ;)

As always thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots


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